The Roadrunner
by Shimmercloud
Summary: A mysterious girl arrives in Metal City, with a long story behind her back.
1. The Roadrunner

**Yeea new story.**

**I don't really know if I can commit to this uhhhh but I'll try? ^o^**

* * *

"Tsubasa." Tsubasa held up a hand to his earpiece. He was standing at the top of the tallest tower in MetalCity, overlooking the considerably smaller buildings underneath. It was his favourite place. He felt like he could touch the sky. The wind in his hair relaxed him and at the same time exhilarated him. The open sky made his power feel limitless, as if he could do anything he could possibly put his mind to.

But there was a lot to do, and little time.

"Tsubasa," the voice said again. Tsubasa adjusted his earpiece. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah," he said quietly. "I can hear you."

"I don't mean to interrupt whatever you're doing." Tsubasa stared over the railing at the edge of the roof. "But the director wants to see you in his office."

"Alright, Hikaru," he answered. "I'm on my way." He descended slowly from the building, taking his time. The director could wait.

Tsubasa was a secret agent for the WBBA. He was constantly being sent on missions all over the world, where he tracked down people for all sorts of purposes. Because of his duty to the WBBA, Tsubasa had to make sure to cherish every second of free time he had. Usually it meant standing atop tall buildings, or battling with his friends when they were around. Either way, it was always short lived, and after what felt like less than a heartbeat, he was back in action.

Bus Tsubasa didn't mind. _It was important to have a good outlook_, he had decided. _I work for the WBBA because I love what I do. Because I love beyblade._ And that was what kept him going every day. His bey spirit burned bright, and he always did the best that he possibly could.

"Good morning, Tsubasa," Ryo greeted as Tsubasa walked into the spacious penthouse office in the WBBA headquarters.

"Director." Tsubasa dipped his head. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I did." Ryo turned to the glass window overlooking the city. "Over on the far side of the city, there have been some rumors of gang activity. Many young bladers have come home injured with their beys destroyed or damaged. There have been multiple reports of cloaked figures chasing innocent bystanders and attacking them."

"That's terrible." Tsubasa shook his head.

"I want you to go investigate, Tsubasa," Ryo told him. "Use your skills to find out exactly what's going on down there and put a stop to it."

"I'm on it." Tsubasa left the building and headed out into the city.

The area that Ryo had assigned him to was really just a web of dark alleyways. Tsubasa couldn't imagine why anyone would want to live there. He traveled through the dusty streets, searching for suspicious activity. Searching for _any_ activity. Not surprisingly, the streets were silent and empty. Suddenly he heard a cough coming from around the corner. Stealthily, he snuck over and peeked out from behind a wall. There, further down the street was a girl sitting on a ledge. Unfazed. As if she owned the place. _I think I may have found who I'm looking for_. Tsubasa crept forward to get a closer look. The girl had scruffy shoulder length hair and long bangs that swept over her eyes. She sat there, expressionless, staring straight ahead. The look of a powerful gang leader. Tsubasa walked out of his hiding place, prepared the confront her. At that exact moment, there was a rustle coming from the other end of the street. The girl's head snapped to a side, and she was suddenly alert. A group of people leaped out of the shadows and launched a bunch of beys at her. The girl slipped off the ledge and began to run. Tsubasa ducked back into his hiding place and watched as the newcomers chased her down the alley and turned the corner. Then he proceeded to run after them. The mysterious bladers and the girl ran up and down the dark streets until they cornered her at a dead end.

"It's over now," said one blader. The beys whizzed at her with great force. She pressed herself against the wall, still looking blank and expressionless. At that moment, Tsubasa launched his bey. It rammed into the other beys, defeating them all in one shot. The bladers gathered their beys and ran. Tsubasa walked up to the girl. She simply stared at him, blinking. "What, not even a thank you?" The girl shrugged. "So I'm assuming you're not the gang leader."

"No, no." She rolled her eyes. "Don't think_ that_." Tsubasa narrowed his eyes.

"Who are you then?" he asked.

"What's it to you?" She tilted her head. He ignored her question.

"I'm Tsubasa," he said. "And I want to know what exactly you're doing in a place like this."

"Even if I was doing something, it wouldn't be any of your business," she told him bitterly. Tsubasa let out an exasperated sigh.

"Listen, kid, I'm on a mission. The sooner we get things sorted out, the sooner you can get on with doing nothing. And so can I. So tell me who you are and what you know about those bladers who attacked you."

"I don't know anything about those bladers!" she snapped. "It's not like I come here often. I just stopped by for a few minutes and they totally jumped me."

"So you're not from around here?" Tsubasa looked confused.

"Of course not," she muttered. "You want to know who I am? Alright, I'll tell you. My name is Natsumi. I've been all over the world running and hiding and running again. This is just a pit stop." She jabbed a finger at the wall.

"Running and hiding?" Tsubasa asked. "Why?"

"I thought you were on a mission," she said flatly.

"I am," he replied. "But now I'm curious. What, or who are you running and hiding from? Are you a blader?"

"I'm not a blader," she told him. "I have no interests in beys or battling." Tsubasa blinked, confused.

"Says the person who has hanging around in an area with blade gang activity."

"Those losers don't scare me," she scowled. Tsubasa sighed.

"Listen," he said. "If I leave you here those bladers will just come after you again, and who will save you then?"

"I don't need your help." She turned away. "I can take care of myself."

"Why hang around in a place like this though?" Tsubasa gestured to the dark alleys. "At least come out into the sunlight or something." She paused for a moment, looking up at him.

"Fine," she said. "Take me wherever you want. But leave me alone afterwards, okay?"

"Sure." He gave her a small smile. "Come on, I think I know where to go." The two of them made their way out of the dark alleys and into the light. They traveled through the streets of MetalCity, all the way to the busy centre of the town, home of the WBBA headquarters.

"Here you go," he told her. "There's a much less likely chance you'll get attacked here." Natsumi looked around suspiciously. Suddenly a voice called out from behind them.

"Hey, Tsubasa!" Tsubasa turned and smiled. _Right on time._

"Natsumi," he said, turning to her. "These are my friends, Kenta and Gingka."

"Great." Natsumi rolled her eyes. "More of you."

"Hi, Tsubasa!" Kenta ran up to them, Gingka following close behind. "Who's that?" he asked, looking at Natsumi curiously.

"This is Natsumi," Tsubasa introduced. "I found her in the dark alleys." Natsumi turned away, annoyed.

"Hello, Natsumi," Gingka greeted. "I'm Gingka. Hey, we're about to go train at the bey park! You should come with us!" Tsubasa glanced at Natsumi, who in turn blinked expressionlessly.

"I've got some work to do," Tsubasa told them. "Maybe I'll join you guys later."

"Yeah, and I-" Natsumi began.

"Natsumi would love to go with you," Tsubasa interrupted. "Have fun." And with that, he walked away. Natsumi stared hard at his retreating figure, as if she couldn't believe what she has just heard.

"Well, come on, Natsumi!" Gingka beckoned to her, an encouraging look on his face. "I guess you don't have to come if you really don't want to, but you should! It'll be fun!"

"I'm not a blader," she informed him bluntly.

"That doesn't matter!" Kenta piped up. "The bey park is full of action, and don't tell us you have something better to do." Natsumi sighed.

"Fine," she said, giving in. "I'll come. But if that idiot shows up, I'm out of there."

"It's a deal." Gingka grinned. "Let's go, we're losing daylight!" The three of them ran off to the bey park. Well, Kenta and Gingka ran. Natsumi sort of sulked. Nonetheless, they began to train hard, with Natsumi watching from the side.

"Go, Pegasus!" Gingka yelled as the two beys clashed fiercely in the arena.

"Don't give up, Sagittario!" called Kenta. Natsumi stared at the battle from the sidelines. Sparks flew everywhere and explosions released powerful forces of energy. _This is ridiculous_, she thought. _How long are they going to keep doing this?_ With a sigh, she got out of her seat and silently stepped out of the arena. _They probably won't notice if I leave…_ Outside, clouds were forming in the blue sky, blocking out the sun. Natsumi glanced up at the sky nervously. _Time to go._ She walked blindly through the city, dodging cars and bicycles and traffic signs, until the tall skyscrapers disappeared behind her and vast, barren land lay in front of her. "Ugh," she muttered. "Where am I?" The clouds churned over her head, threatening to rain on her. Everywhere she looked, there was only more nothingness. She pursed her lips and continued to walk. _I don't care where I'm going, as long as I get out of here._ It was a mistake, coming to this bey-centric city. _I don't know what I was thinking._ Suddenly, the land a few yards down from her was blasted apart in an enormous explosion. She frantically pressed herself to the ground, shielding her eyes. The dust cleared and there was man standing there. He was dressed all in black and wore a large wide-brimmed hat. She stared at him for a few seconds, as if she wasn't really sure what to say. "No, don't tell me," she said at last. "_You're_ the gang leader."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he laughed. "Just because I dress like a rebel and I come and go through explosions doesn't mean I'm the leader of the most prestigious gang in the country."

"There is nothing prestigious about gangs," she snapped. "What you're doing is cowardly and disgusting." She turned away bitterly. "Not that I care."

"You should care." He whipped out a bey. "Battle me now, mysterious blue-haired girl." She laughed. "You wish. I'm not even a blader." The man growled in frustration and launched his bey at her. She turned on her heels and ran. _Why is this always happening to me?_ The man chased her around the barren desert, his bey kicking up dust storms and constantly launching attacks at her. "Damnit!" she yelled as the toe of her shoe grazed the ground. She fell with a thud onto the dirt. The man just laughed as the bey sped towards her. Suddenly, two beys intervened the attack and knocked the bey away. Natsumi sat up abruptly. She turned to see Gingka and Kenta standing behind her, retrieving their beys from the field. "Go pick on someone your own size!" Gingka yelled. The man squinted them. "Hmph," he muttered. "You're none of my business." He whipped his gaze to Natsumi, glaring at her. "Go, Dark Capricorn!" The bey suddenly powered up, releasing a tremendous amount of energy that threw them all backwards. When Natsumi got up again, she realized that Gingka and Kenta were unconscious. "What did you do to them?" she gasped. He ignored her question and jabbed a finger at her.

"Battle me!" he ordered. Without waiting for her response, he sent Dark Capricorn flying at her. Natsumi slammed a hand to her forehead. _Oh, for crying out loud._ She reached into her bag and pulled out a bey. She pulled the launcher and the bey flew out onto the field. The two beys clashed and were thrown backwards. Immediately, Natsumi withdrew her own bey. "What are you doing?" the man snapped. "This battle is not over." Natsumi glanced at the sky. The grey clouds seemed a lot more concentrated now, right over their heads. "Go, Dark Capricorn!" the man shouted again. Natsumi braced herself for the impact. Suddenly, a powerful ball of energy whizzed through the air and smashed into the bey, sending it flying. The man's mouth fell open and he stood frozen in disbelief. Red lightening lit the sky as the clouds made a vortex above them. A figure appeared amidst the storm and approached the man menacingly. The man backed away, clearly frightened by the power that this person possessed. "Do not challenge me," he growled. The man scrambled to turn around and ran off in fear. The newcomer turned to face Natsumi. The ball of energy came flying back to him and landed in his hand, sizzling down to reveal a bey. "You owe me a great debt, _Natsumi_."

"I don't owe you anything," she snapped. "I never asked you to come here."

"Do I look like a fool to you?" he roared. "You know you can't run away from me."

"Just leave me alone." Natsumi stood up angrily. "I'm not going to battle you, I'm not going to help you, and I'm _not_ calling you _anywhere_." With that, she turned and ran. The man glared at her a few moments. Then, the creepy lightening flashed again, and he was gone.

In the distance, on a mission from the WBBA, a pair of eagle-sharp amber eyes watched keenly.

* * *

Leaves whipped her face as she raced through the thick forest without looking back. The ground was uneven and overgrown with roots, but she just jumped over them and continued to run. _I have to get out of here. I have to get out of here._ Unsurprisingly, her foot caught on a root and she faceplanted into the dirt. Her bag flew off her shoulder, the contents spilling out over the ground. Flustered, she reached out to gather her things. A hand appeared in her field of view and picked up the bey that had skidded across the forest floor. She looked up to see Tsubasa standing a few feet away from her, examining the bey. "First Ryuga, and now this?" He held up the bey and looked at it closely. "I thought you said you weren't a blader.

"I'm not." She sat on the ground, dejected.

"Clearly," He handed the bey back to her and she put it in her bag. "Alright then." He pulled out his Eagle. "Battle me." She stared at him.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm not," he said. "If I win, you have to tell me your story."

"You're crazy." She took a step back. "I'm not going to battle you."

"Come on." He offered her a smile. "You are a blader."

"No, I'm not." She clutched her bag tighter. "He'll find me."

"If he finds you, we'll run." He held his bey in position. "I'll help you." She looked unsure. "Come on. You haven't got anything to lose."

"Oh, thanks." She angrily took out her bey. "Fine, I'll battle you," she snapped. "But don't count on seeing me again after this."

"Good, I'm glad we're on the same page," he said with a smile. She rolled her eyes. "Are you ready?"

"Let's just get this over with," she muttered.

"That's the spirit," Tsubasa laughed. "Three, two, one!" The two beys were launched, and scattered over the rough forest floor. "Not much of a stadium, I'm afraid. But it will do fine for your bey, I'm assuming." Natsumi's bey was a Sky Lynx. It ran nimbly over the thick roots and undergrowth, dodging Eagle's attacks easily.

"Not too shabby," Tsubasa remarked. "But not nearly good enough." With one swipe, Eagle flipped Lynx up into the air from underneath. It smashed down onto to ground, defeated. Natsumi retrieved her bey and put it back into her bag.

"I can tell your skill is great," Tsubasa called to her. "But your bey spirit is lacking. You don't feel anything towards your bey, and it hinders your performance in battle."

"Great," Natsumi sighed, sitting down in defeat. Tsubasa sat down next to her, turning his Eagle in his hand.

"So," he said. "Go on."

"What?" She stared at him, confused.

"Tell me your story," he said. "That what we agreed to, wasn't it?"

"I didn't really agree to that," she muttered. "But whatever, if you really want to know." She stared up at the sky. The grey clouds had long disappeared, revealing the brilliant blue underneath. "I guess it started when I was little, back in the small village that I grew up in."

"The villagers always loved and welcomed beyblade. All of the kids played and practiced in these little makeshift stadiums almost every day. My younger sister and I trained really hard, aspiring to one day go out into the world and challenge stronger bladers. Life was pretty great, I guess. We all lived in peace. In fact, no outsiders ever came up there at all."

"But then…" said Tsubasa.

"But then…" Natsumi bit her lip. "There was a whole lot of evil, is what I remember. They came in, with their crazy dark beys, and they took over the village. They forbade any use of beys and forced us all to obey them. It was really, really horrible." She stared at the ground. "My sister and I ran for it. We kept running and running and we didn't stop or look back or anything. I guess that started what turned into a habit of running when things get bad." She gestured in the direction that they had came from. "We arrived at this really remote area of the mountains. We had no idea where we were, but we decided to stay there. We lived off of the resources there, and I guess it was okay. But what we soon discovered was that those mountains were full of secrets. We started to explore the area inside out, in order to be able to use them to our advantage. It took us years to master those mountains, but soon we had memorized every tunnel and passageway, and discovered a few amazing things along the way. We thought the hardships were over, that we could finally just live in peace in these mountains. And then…" She clenched her fists. "And then _he_ showed up."

"Ryuga?" Tsubasa inquired.

"Yeah," she muttered. "There's this thing, hidden in the mountains. A rock or something? It's supposed to give you power. And needless to say, he wanted it. I guess normally he would just mow the whole mountain down to find it, but the structure of those mountains was so fragile. If he unleashed an attack, the whole thing could collapse, and the power rock thingy would be destroyed."

"So he came to you."

"So he came to me. And we don't really get along, as you might assume. I disagreed with his crazy ambitions. And I didn't really see why he needed more power. But he challenged me to a battle, and I refused." She sighed. "There were a lot of threats, but in the end we just ran. I didn't want my sister to be involved in this, so we split off after we left the mountains. I knew we could both defend ourselves, so she'd be okay on her own. And that's it, I guess. The chase was on. He wasn't like, really desperate on finding me or anything. It was just like he went on with his daily life, and in his free time chased me around the world. And I just kept running." She looked up at him grimly. "Because I was just afraid that he would do something horrible to me. Like, I don't know, steal my soul." Tsubasa laughed nervously, holding onto his Eagle tighter.  
"I don't think that'll happen," he assured her. She glared at him.

"Is false reassurance all you have to give to me?" she asked, disgruntled.

"No, no," he said with a smile. "Don't think _that_."

"Then what?" she snapped.

"I think you're too easily fazed," he told her. "You have no confidence in yourself, even though you put on a defensive attitude towards everyone. You keep running because you're afraid to stand up for yourself, even though you act like you're not afraid. And you have no bey spirit, which in my opinion, is the biggest problem."

"So what should I do?" she asked, annoyed.

"I think we should get that bey spirit fired up again, just like back in the day," he said cheerfully. "That way you'll be strong enough to face Ryuga. Probably not defeat him, because honestly at this point I'm convinced that he's pretty much undefeatable, but you'll at least be able to reason with him or something." Natsumi nodded slowly. "You get what I'm saying?"

"No," she replied. "But I don't really care. I'll go along with whatever you do, as long as my soul doesn't get stolen."

"Great." Tsubasa grinned. "Let's get back to the city. I think that if you choose to stick around a bit longer, that you could learn a thing or two from my friends." The two of them headed back through the trees and the barren deserts too the concrete jungle of Metal City.

And the battle was on.


	2. The Quest for Bey Spirit

** Chapter 2 is here! Hope you guys like it. A few random OCs that I made up on the spot LOL. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Where are we going?" Natsumi groaned. "We've been walking for hours..."

"We're going to visit an old friend of mine," Gingka told her. "Just try to hold your tongue, okay? He's a sensitive kid."

"Alright, whatever," she grumbled. "I don't see the point of this though."

"Tsubasa says you need to get your bey spirit up and running again! What better way to do that than to travel to cool places?"

"I don't really think that random rocky plains in the middle of nowhere is on my list of cool places to go." Natsumi shielded her eyes. The sun was setting directly in front of them. "Decent sunset though."

"Just you wait," said Gingka excitedly. A shadow appeared in the near distance, running towards them. Natsumi squinted as the shadow turned into a boy.

"Mr. Gingka!" he called, waving to them.

"Hey, Yuki!" Gingka called back. "It's been a long time!" The boy ran up to them, a big smile on his face.

"It's so great to see you!" he greeted breathlessly. "And you must be Miss Natsumi! It's nice to meet you." He dipped his head at her.

"Do you live out here?" she asked, looking around.

"Sometimes," he told her. "My observatory is here, so sometimes I stay out here."

"I see." She ran a hand through her hair. "But what exactly are we doing here?"

"I don't know," said Gingka. "Are you up for a battle?"

"Can we not?" she groaned. "It's getting dark."

"No big deal," he grinned. "Yuki?"

"Okay!" Yuki's eyes lit up. "It would be my honor!"

"Better take a few steps back, Natsumi," Gingka warned. "This one is gonna be big." Natsumi ran to take shelter behind a rock. "Alright, are you ready, Yuki?"

"As I'll ever be, Mr. Gingka," said Yuki excitedly. The two friends positioned their beys. "Three, two, one!"

* * *

As the battle began, the sun sank behind the horizon and a magnificent blanket of stars appeared above them. Natsumi gazed at the sky in awe. _It's just like when we used to live in the mountains._ Down in the rocks, two beys were engaged in a fiery battle.

"Go, Anubius!" Yuki navigated is bey accurately around rocks. "Don't let the rocks slow you down!"

"Pegasus!" Gingka yelled. "Go get him! Barrage Mode!" Pegasus expertly switched modes and whizzed towards Anubius, the impact throwing it into the air."

"No, Anubius!" said Yuki worriedly. Natsumi gaped as the clashing beys exerted powerful energy and bright sparks that lit up the sky. _That is some battle._ The beasts rose high into the air, in the middle of intense combat.

"Go, Pegasus, Final Drive Mode!" Pegasus burst into action, launching itself at Anubias. "Cosmic Tornado!"

"Anubius! Special move: Brave Impact!" The two beys flew at each other at top speed. Natsumi pressed herself to the rock, bracing for impact. With a huge explosion, lights flew off in every direction and the wind roared, blowing up the dust. When finally everything died down, it was Anubius that had stopped spinning. Natsumi ran out from behind the rock to meet them.

"That was awesome, Yuki!" exclaimed Gingka, his eyes shining. "What'd you think, Natsumi?"

"It was pretty cool," Natsumi agreed, nodding.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Miss Natsumi," said Yuki. "Would you like to come see the observatory?"

"Sure, why not?" Natsumi followed them across the barren rocky plain to the large observatory, belonging to Yuki.

"This is crazy," she sighed, shaking her head. "I can't believe this is yours, Yuki."

"You better believe it," said Gingka with a grin. "Yuki's way into astronomy. And he knows so much about it too! We all have a lot to learn from him."

"I think I learned way more from you, Mr. Gingka," Yuki objected. "You're the best blader in the world!"

"Hey, can I look?" asked Natsumi, pointing to the big lens.

"Sure, go ahead!" said Yuki. "It's pointed at the moon right now." Natsumi looked through the lens. The moon shone big and bright in the sky.

"That is so cool," she said. "Thanks, Yuki."

"You into stars too, Natsumi?" Gingka asked.

"Sort of," she replied. "It just reminds me of when my sister and I used to live in the mountains. The view of the sky was so amazing. We even saw meteor showers a few times."

"That's awesome!" Yuki exclaimed. "I would have loved to have been there."

"It's too nice out to stay in here," Gingka pointed out. "Let's go outside!" The three of them headed back out under the stars, settling down on the hard but surprisingly comfortable rocks. The night slowly drifted by, but they stayed awake till the sun came out.

* * *

The crisp smell of air freshener hung in the air as Natsumi walked through the clean hallways of the WBBA headquarters. A door stood open at the end of the hall, beckoning her. She walked into the room, knocking on the open door to signify her arrival. Tsubasa, who had been staring out the window down at the busy streets below, looked up as she walked over. "Oh, hey," he greeted. "How was stargazing?"

"Pretty fun, actually," she replied. "That Gingka is really intense, isn't he?"

"That he is," said Tsubasa with a smile. "Gingka is probably one of the best bladers I know. Not only is his skill and power off the charts, his bey spirit is beyond anything imaginable. We've all still got a lot to learn from him." Natsumi nodded slowly. "Think you'll get back into beyblading?" he asked her.

"I don't know," she sighed. "It just brings back bad memories. And I'd rather not have anything to do with Ryuga."

"Ryuga works in his own weird way," Tsubasa mused. "But he's not really a bad guy, you know?"

"Sure," she muttered. "Okay then."

"Anyway, the WBBA is hosting a one day tournament tomorrow," he informed her. "You can join if you like, or you can just come watch. Either one is good."

"Are you going to participate?" she asked.

"Of course I am," he grinned. "Gingka will be there too, and all our other friends."

"I'll probably just watch," she said. "But it sounds interesting."

"That's what I like to hear," he said with a smile. "Hopefully this will get your bey spirit fired up."

"Yeah, whatever," she said. "Don't you ever get claustrophobic up here?"

"Not really." Tsubasa glanced out the window. "As long as I've got a view of the big sky, I'm all good."

"Oh." She pressed her hand to the glass. "Is that all you do? Stare at the sky?" He laughed.

"No, I actually have to work," he said. "The director assigns me on a lot of missions all over the world. There hasn't been much going on lately, but if there's any suspicious bey activity going on, I'll be there. On top of that, every job involves paperwork." He gestured to the piles of paper on his desk. "Which I'm somehow always behind on."

"Sounds like a lot of work," she sighed. "I don't understand how you can be so relaxed."

"It's just important to keep an optimistic outlook," he told her. "Even though I have a lot of work to do, I love my job. And I have lots of friends to support me and help me. Plus, there's always those moments between missions that I'm free to do anything." He smiled. "When you have as little free time as I do, you learn to cherish those moments."

"How? By staring out windows?" she asked. He paused for a minute, looking at her.

"Ever wanted to touch the sky?"

* * *

Tsubasa and Natsumi made their way through the halls and up the elevators of the buildings, till the reached the door to the roof. Tsubasa opened the door and sunlight streamed into the dim hallway. The stepped out onto the roof and Natsumi ran to the edge, leaning over the railing. "Wow," she breathed. "You can see the whole city from here!"

"Still think staring at the sky is stupid?" Tsubasa said with a smirk.

"I never said that," she countered. "I just feel like that's all you ever do."

"I wouldn't mind if it was." Tsubasa gazed out at the clouds. "It just makes you feel so…limitless, you know? I just want to soar through the sky like the eagles, not bound by the laws of gravity or the land."

"I get it," she said, nodding. "It would be pretty amazing."

"What motivates you, Natsumi?" he asked, turning to her. She thought for a few moments, and then spoke up.

"I don't really know," she said. "In order to be motivated, you have to be aiming for something. And I don't really have any goals."

"You want to run away from Ryuga," he remarked. "What motivates you to keep running?"

"Fear, I guess," she sighed. "Fear of his power, fear of the power he could possess." She ran a hand through her hair. "I really just don't want anything to do with him, that's all."

"It's understandable," he said with a nod. "But you need to aspire for more. Like back when you lived in your village. You need to have drive, not just to run from your problems, but for yourself too. That's where the bey spirit comes from. The thirst to battle opponents and become stronger and stronger." He smiled down at her. "You've felt it before. I know you have."

"Maybe I have," she agreed. "But it's just…not there anymore. I don't feel any desire to get involved with beyblade and battle people. I just feel like it's not my thing."

"You may have lost your bey spirit," he told her. "But you're still here, aren't you? I suspect that even though you don't have the desire to battle, you do have the desire to get your bey spirit back. And that's what matters right now."

"I suppose you're right," she murmured. "Thanks." He didn't reply, and they stood on the roof of the WBBA headquarters, staring out at the sky in peaceful silence.

* * *

"_Come one, come all, to the Beyblade One Day Tournament!_" The announcer's voice was broadcasted through the streets of Metal City through large speakers. "_Come see MetalCity's best bladers battle it out in the WBBA's official stadium!_" Everywhere, kids and adults alike rushed down to the stadium, eager to witness the battles.

Up in the skybox, a few friends were sitting around. Hikaru was speaking with a businessman about professional stuff. Kenta and Madoka sat on the couch, discussing techniques. Gingka stood at the front of the room with Tsubasa and Natsumi, pressing himself to the glass with anticipation.

"Ooh, this is so exciting!" He stared out into the stadium as it filled up with spectators, his eyes shining brightly. "I want to start battling right now!"

"Calm down, Gingka," Tsubasa told him. "If you waste all your energy freaking out, then you won't be able to battle."

"I can't help it!" Gingka exclaimed. "I'm so excited! I can't even remember the last time I battled in a big tournament!"

"How's this thing going to work anyway?" Natsumi asked.

"The matches will be randomized." Hikaru walked over to them, holding a clipboard. "And the winners will battle each other in the second round. To make things interesting, we're starting things off with a tag team battle."

"A tag team battle?" Gingka whirled around. "Hikaru, why would you tell us this right before the tournament's about to start?" Hikaru looked confused.

"I thought you knew," she said. "I told the director to tell you."

"He didn't tell them," Tsubasa informed her. "You should've known that." Hikaru let out a frustrated sigh.

"Why am I not surprised?" she muttered. "Sorry, Gingka, but yes, there will be a tag team battle."

"All the better," said Gingka, flexing his fingers. "Hey, Kenta, wanna team up?" Kenta's eyes lit up.

"Do you really mean it?" he gasped.

"Sure, I do!" Gingka replied, grinning. "We're going to win for sure!" He and Kenta exchanged a high five.

"Hey, who are you going to team up with?" Natsumi asked Tsubasa.

"Well," he began. "There's this kid. He's about…this tall." He gestured with his hand. "Crazy hair, loves ice cream..." The door flew open.

"I'm heeeeere!" a voice called. Everyone turned as Yu stepped into the room, smiling from ear to ear.

"Yu!" Kenta exclaimed, running over to him.

"Heeeey, Ken-chi!" They exchanged a hug. "Long time no see, huh? Am I the only one who's pumped for this tournament?!"

"Yeah, let's see how pumped you are when I beat you!" Gingka held out a hand and Yu high-fived it enthusiastically.

"No way, Gingkie, this time we're going to beat you in the first round!" Yu shot back. "Right, Tsubasa?"

"He speaks the truth," said Tsubasa with a smile.

"See? Tsubasa agrees with me." Yu flopped down on the couch. "So when's this tournament gonna start, huh? I'm so excited, I could battle right now!"

"Soon," Hikaru told him. "Just keep it down, okay? We don't need everyone in the stadium to hear what's going on up here." She sighed. "I should go find the director."

"Better sit tight," Tsubasa told Natsumi. "It's going to get a little bit loud in here."

"Right," she replied quietly, staring out into the stadium. The crowd began to cheer loudly as Blader DJ came up on the big announcer screen.

"Welcome everyone, to the One Day Tournament!" he announced. "Today, bladers from all over the city will be participating in heated battles in this very stadium!"

"You guy better head down," Madoka told them. "The tournament is about to start!"

"You're right!" Gingka leaped to his feet. "Let's go, guys!" He ran out the door without looking back, Kenta and Madoka following close behind.

"Come on, Yu." Tsubasa held out his hand and Yu grabbed it, pulling himself up. Tsubasa glanced back at Natsumi, who was still standing at the window. "Feel like coming?" he asked her. She paused for a moment, considering it.

"I think I'll stay here," she said. "Seems a bit safer."

"Suit yourself," he replied. "Just don't run off or anything. At least until my battle is over." Natsumi pressed her lips together in a half smile. "Hikaru and the director will probably be up in a few minutes. Just hang tight." With that, he left with Yu and Natsumi was by herself again. She stared back out the window. _All these people here to see people battle…why is that?_

* * *

Energy radiated from the stadium as the battle was in full swing. Tsubasa and Yu were facing off against two strong bladers, Ike and Taro. Their beys had incredible speed and dodged all their attempts at attacking. "Go, Gasher!" called Ike. His bey whizzed up to Libra from behind, knocking it into the air. Yu stomped his foot, frustrated.

"What do we do, Tsubasa?" he asked.

"If they're going too fast…" Tsubasa mused. "Then I guess we better slow them down, huh?" Yu grinned.

"I catch your drift," he said excitedly. "Alright, let's get this show on the road! Go, Libra! Sonic Buster!" Libra sent out a series of sonic waves, turning the stadium into sand. Ike and Taro's beys instantly slowed down, unable to move over the sand.

"Go, Eagle!" Tsubasa called. Eagle glided across the sand and flew into the air. "Metal Wing Smash!" Ike and Taro's beys were thrown out of the stadium as Eagle rocketed down over them, causing a huge explosion. The beys clinked as they fell back to the ground, defeated. The crowd went wild. In the stands, Gingka, Kenta, and Madoka cheered loudly for their friends. "Yeah, Tsubasa!" Gingka yelled waving his hands. "You too, Yu!" Up in the skybox, Natsumi pressed her hands to the glass. _What an intense battle…_

"And Tsubasa and Yu are the winners!" Blader DJ called excitedly. "After a crrrrrazy battle of strength and strategy, Tsubasa and Yu have managed to come out on top and will move on to the next round!" Tsubasa held out his hand and Yu leaped up to high five it.

"Yeah, Tsubasa, we won!" he cheered. Tsubasa just smiled as they stepped down from the stadium.

"Looks like we're moving on to the next round," he said. "We're one step closer to facing Gingka!"

"You said it!" Yu laughed. "And I'm going to beat him for sure this time!"

"I'll believe it when I see it," Tsubasa remarked. "You just hope you'll even get the chance the battle Gingka, because I might just beat you too it!" The two of them headed back up to meet their friends.

"That was awesome, Tsubasa, Yu!" Gingka commended. "You guys did a great job!"

"The first round is over now," said Madoka. "The matches for the next round will probably be revealed in a few minutes. It's great that you guys all made it though!" Gingka and Kenta had also won their battle against Akira and Osamu.

"I hope I'll get to battle you Gingka," said Kenta enthusiastically.

"Me too, Kenta!" Gingka replied. Tsubasa turned to Natsumi.

"What'd you think of that?" he asked her.

"I have to agree with them," she said with a smile. "That was pretty exciting."

"Think you'll participate in any tournaments anytime soon?"

"Possibly." Natsumi sighed and sat down on the couch. "It all seems a little bit overwhelming, if you ask me."

"In a way, it is," he replied. "But it's the adrenaline and the exhilaration that makes it so exciting, and that's not something to miss out on." Hikaru walked over to them, with Ryo following close behind.

"Great job, kids," Ryo congratulated. "The second round is about to start. Go out there and show them who's boss!" They headed out and the battles started once more.

* * *

**Hehe, once again I leave this ambiguous to romance. Don't get me wrong, I actually love writing romance. But I just feel like now isn't the time. So yeah. Whatever you guys choose to think is right :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Leave a review!**


	3. Confrontations

**Alright, let's get this story going! Let's bring in some more awesome characters :D**

* * *

"Congratulations, Gingka!" The gang raised their cans of Pepsi in the air in honor of their very skillful friend. "You win again!" After the tournament, they had headed down to the local burger place for a celebratory meal.

"Aw, thanks guys," Gingka said humbly. "But the real credit goes all of you for all your help and support!"

"You all did so great!" Madoka commended. "It's great that you all made it to the semi-finals!"

"Yeah, I could have totally won this if Tsubasa hadn't totally turned on me," Yu put in sourly.

"Hey, it's a tournament," Tsubasa said, smiling. "Turning is what you're supposed to do."

"But I didn't even get to battle Ken-chi!" Yu complained.

"We can battle tomorrow, Yu," Kenta suggested. "After the stadium is fixed. Right, Tsubasa?"

"I think it should be fine," Tsubasa nodded. "I'll give Hikaru a heads up."

"Wow, you guys are the best!" Yu hugged Kenta happily. "I can't wait till tomorrow, Ken-chi!"

"Seriously? You guys still haven't had enough excitement?" said Madoka, shaking her head.

"You can never have enough excitement, Madoka," Gingka told her. "Especially with beyblade! This is gonna be such an awesome battle! We'll come watch, Yu, Kenta!"

"You in, Natsumi? Tsubasa asked.

"Sure, whatever," Natsumi replied. "It does seem like this is all you guys ever do though."

"It pretty much is," Madoka told her. "But everyone lives for something." Nods and murmurs rose up as they all dug into their burgers. Natsumi sighed and picked at her fries. _Everyone except me._

* * *

"Are you ready, Yu?" called Kenta excitedly.

"Ready!" Yu called back, grinning.

"Alright!" Kenta positioned Flash Sagittario in front of him. "Three!"

"Two!" Yu pulled out Flame Libra and held it out.

"One!" The two beys were launched into the stadium at top speed, immediately clashing against each other. Sparks flew out of the stadium, landed as glowing hot spots on the ground. In the stands, Gingka sat at the edge of his seat, yelling passionately.

"He is really loud," Natsumi muttered.

"You should have seen him when he didn't get Pegasus back yet," Madoka laughed. "It was terrible."

"Go, Sagittario, Diving Claw!" Kenta called.

"Libra, Final Inferno Blast!" Yu yelled. The two beys collided at full power, the energy bursting out from the stadium.

Suddenly, the doors flew open and a huge gust of wind blew the attacks away. When it died down, both beys had stopped spinning.

"Sagittario!" Kenta gasped. "What happened?" Everyone ran down from the stands to investigate. Standing at the door were none other than Kyoya and Benkei.

"Kyoya!" Gingka yelled. "What are you doing here?"

"And why'd you kill our battle, huh?" Yu exclaimed angrily, running over. "What's your problem, Yo-yo?" Kyoya bristled, but didn't reply. His sharp gaze swept the stadium until it landed on Natsumi.

"You!" he growled. "You're the one I'm looking for!"

"Great," Natsumi muttered. "More people are looking for me."

"What do you need her for, Yo-yo?" Yu asked, confused. "She's not even a blader."

"Oh really?" Kyoya swept over to them. "I was out training in down in South America when I had an unexpected encounter with Ryuga." Natsumi flinched at the name. "I demanded that he battle me, of course, and after a bit of running around he agreed."

"And did he win?" asked Gingka.

"Yes," Kyoya turned away, annoyed. "It was a fluke. But that's not important."

…

The dust settled and Kyoya, exhausted, ran to retrieve his bey. Ryuga stood a few feet away, facing the other direction. Kyoya grabbed Rock Leone and glared angrily at Ryuga.

"You're strong," Ryuga remarked coldly. "But not nearly strong enough."

"I will be," Kyoya growled. "In time."

"I'm not going to wait around for that to happen," Ryuga replied as he started to walk away. "Run back to your little friends in Japan and come find me when you think you can actually give me a bit of a challenge." He stopped suddenly and turned around. "Oh, and if you see Natsumi, tell her the next time we meet, she _will_ battle me." Kyoya stared at him, confused. _Natsumi?_

…

"Wow," Natsumi said under her breath. "I am not going to battle him."

"So what's the big deal, Yo-yo?" Yu demanded. "We all know Ryuga wants to battle Natsumi because of one thing or another."

"The big deal," Kyoya began, jabbing a finger in Natsumi's direction. "Is that if Ryuga wants to battle _you_, then you must really be something special." Natsumi stared at him nonchalantly.

"No, no," she said sarcastically. "Don't think _that_."

"It's too late now," Kyoya yelled. "I don't know who you are, or what business you have with Ryuga, but if he wants to battle you, then you must be a really strong blader! And if you're a strong blader, then you are going to battle me!" He pulled out Rock Leone and positioned it in front of him.

"Okay, uh, how do I put this?" Natsumi narrowed her eyes. "No. I am not going to battle you."

"Lay off, Kyoya," said Tsubasa. "She doesn't want to battle."

"I made a vow to myself that I would _crush_ every strong blader that I encountered," Kyoya snapped. "And that includes you!"

"You're delusional," Natsumi shot at him. "I'm not a strong blader, and I'm not going to battle you!" Kyoya growled with frustration.

"You leave me no choice. Go, Leone!" Leone flew from the launcher towards Natsumi, who dodged out of the way. She bolted instantly. For a split second, her eyes met with Tsubasa's, and a look of disappointment flashed across her face. But the second passed by, and she was gone.

Silence filled the stadium as everyone just stood there, staring. "Wow," Gingka said at last. "Nice going, Kyoya."

* * *

_Running. Always running._

The roads and trees flashed by. She didn't care. _Why are people so stupid?_ A train pulled into a nearby station and she jumped on. _Let's see how far this will take me._ A loud horn went off and the train pulled away, the tracks clacking loudly underneath. Natsumi sat restlessly inside, staring out the window. _I have no idea where I'm going._ She slowly fell asleep to the rumbling of the train, and didn't wake up until a few hours later. The train had stopped at a station, and the car that she was sitting in was now empty. She hopped off the train and looked around. It was late afternoon and she was in a mountainous region. _Reminds me of home_. She made her way from the station into the mountain paths and began to trek. _Maybe I'll find something worthwhile up here._ She walked through trees, past rock faces, around lakes…in fact after a while she wondered if the mountains would ever end. _Or maybe I'm going in circles. Either way, I'm getting nowhere._ She arrived at a shallow stream and spotted a cave on the other side. _That looks like a good place to rest._ She hopped onto a rock sticking out of the water. Then another. Then another. Then her foot slipped and she fell on her side into the stream. _Ugh…_ Suddenly, she heard a cough and looked up to see a guy standing over her, holding out a hand. She took it graciously and he helped her up.

"You'd better dry off," he told her. "Unless you want to catch a cold."

"Thanks," she said as he handed her a towel that he had drawn from his shoulder bag.

"So what are you doing up here all by yourself anyway?" he asked her.

"Nothing in particular," she replied. "Just wandering around, I suppose. What about you?"

"Oh, I live nearby here," he explained simply.

"That's cool," she said. "I used to live in the mountains too."

"Oh, really?" They walked to the cave together and sat down inside. "Are you looking for a new home or something?"

"No, I'm not," she told him. "I really just needed to get away for a bit."

"Get away from what?" he asked. "If you don't mind me asking."

"Nah, it's alright," she said. "Just a whole lot of problems, mostly concerning beyblade, and people I don't like, and honestly…I don't really do anything to solve problems…except run."

"I see." The guy offered her a piece of bread, which she accepted. "So what are you planning to do now?"

"Walk around, I guess," she said. "Look for stuff."

"There isn't really anything up here," he warned her.

"That's alright," she said. "I don't really care."

"In that case, I'll come with you," he said. "To make sure you don't get horribly lost or something."

"Suit yourself." With that, they started out. The sun moved across the sky as they got deeper and deeper into the mountains.

"Hmm," she murmured glancing in the direction that the sun was setting. "Is that a tunnel…?"

"Hey, I think I see another cave over there!" The guy pointed in the opposite direction. "Come on, let's check it out." He ran off before she could reply. She followed him, and they ran until they reached a small waterfall coming down against a cliff face. "Oh, it was just a hole in the cliff." He looked disappointed.

"Don't sweat it," she told him. "I'm not really looking for anything, remember?"

"Alright," he said. "Let's keep going." After a while of walking around, the arrived at a fork in the path.

"Left?" she asked him.

"Let's go right," he suggested, gesturing to the alternative path. She pressed her lips together.

"Okay then." They turned right and continued to walk. Soon, Natsumi began to get suspicious. _He acts all passive and claims that he's following me, but he's actually very subtly leading, and I'm the one following him_. Her ears pricked as she heard a rushing sound. "I hear water," she told him. "Let's check it out." She started towards the sound.

"It's probably just the stream," he called to her, not moving. "Let's go this way instead. I think I saw something move over there." Natsumi turned around, narrowing her eyes.

"I want to go to the water," she said. "I'm thirsty, anyway." She started again in that direction and he followed her silently. Soon, they arrived at the stream and she knelt down for a drink. The cool mountain water ran down her chin, and she wiped it off and stood up.

"Let's go back to the path now," the guy said, standing behind her.

"Wait, I want to see what's upstream," she told him.

"I don't think there's anything there," he said. There was an edge to his voice.

"I told you, I'm not looking for anything," she said sharply. "And you don't have to follow me everywhere." She turned around, only to find her path blocked.

"What are you doing?" she snapped. "I thought you were just 'coming along to make sure I don't get horribly lost?'"

"I get the feeling you're about to get horribly lost," he said simply, but his tone of voice implied that he was dropping the act. She opened to her mouth to ask who exactly he was, but closed it before she said a word, deciding that she didn't care.

"Out of my way," she snapped, shoving past him. She managed to take a few steps before the ground in front of her ruptured, dust rising into the air. After it cleared, she saw a bey spinning calmly in front of her. "Of course," she muttered. "You're a blader."

"So are you," he called from behind her. "Right?"

"No!" She turned to face him. "Not right! So let me go, okay?"

"I feel like we both have some explaining to do," he said. "Battling is the best way for two bladers to have a conversation."

"I'm not going to battle!" She pressed her lips together, staring at him desperately. "I'm tired, okay? Please just let me go." He stared back at her evenly, not moving. She clenched her fists together, looking around for anywhere she could run. Suddenly, a voice came down from the trees.

"That's enough," it said. Both Natsumi and the guy looked up as Tsubasa jumped down from a tree branch. Natsumi gaped at him as the man withdrew his bey. "What are you doing here?" she asked in disbelief.

"Did you really think I wouldn't follow you?" he said calmly. "I figured that if you were heading up here, Hyoma would give you some trouble." Natsumi glanced at the guy, who shrugged.

"It's been a while, Tsubasa," he said quietly.

"I can't believe this," Natsumi sighed, storming over to Hyoma. "Wherever we go, he always knows everyone."

"Alright, alright," said Hyoma. "What are _both_ of you doing up here?"

"_She_ speaks the truth," Tsubasa told him. "You're the one who's been lying here."

"I haven't been lying," Hyoma replied. "I haven't been saying much at all."

"Natsumi," Tsuabsa said, ignoring Hyoma. "Are you going to come back now?"

"Is that guy gone?" Natsumi asked, annoyed.

"Yeah, long gone," he told her. "Not exactly happy, but gone. He's not a fan of runners, nor are any of us." Natsumi rolled her eyes.

"Fine, whatever," she said. "Let's get out of here."

"Looks like you found your way out on you own," Hyoma said cheerfully.

"Yeah, no thanks to you," Natsumi snapped. "What were you trying to do, anyway?"

"He was trying to keep you away from KomaVillage," Tsubasa informed her. "There are a bunch of secret passageways that lead there, and he was afraid that you would discover one."

"Seriously?" She stared at Hyoma. "You could have just told me to leave, you know."

"Hey, you work how you want, I'll work how I want," he said with a shrug. "Anyway, I'm off. Say hi to Gingka and the others for me, alright?" He gave them a short wave and trekked off through the trees.

"What a guy," Natsumi muttered. "I can't believe you guys are friends."

"He is kind of weird at times," Tsubasa agreed.

"Kind of?" She waved her arms. "What kind of person acts all friendly and travels with you and then suddenly attacks you out of the blue?"

"Sounds like something I would do," said Tsubasa. The two of them made their way down from the mountain and boarded the train once again. "Maybe we can get back before sundown." The train pulled away and began to rumble over the tracks into the sun. The mountains soon disappeared behind them and the tall skyscrapers of MetalCity came into view. They parted ways as the sun sank beneath the horizon, marking the end of another day.

* * *

"You got to see Hyoma?" Gingka stared at them in disbelief. "No fair! I should have gone with you!" Six friends sat in a diner enjoying a mid-afternoon snack.

"No way," Natsumi scoffed. "How can you be friends with a guy like that? He's crazy."

"Uh, Gingka, I have to agree," Madoka put in. "Remember the first time we met him? What a headache."

"He is a little over the top at times," said Gingka with a nod. "But that's just his way of doing things. I guess he thought he would just let you wander around, but he didn't want you to find the village, especially since you weren't looking for it."

"Sometimes you have to be bit crazy to do things right," Kenta added. "When we went to look for Gingka, Hyoma didn't know who we were. He wanted to make sure that we were actually good friends with Gingka before he let us come to the village."

"I feel like he's justified," said Tsubasa with a smile. "We're all good people, Natsumi."

"Yet the number of bladers surprise attacking me is increasing," Natsumi muttered. "You sure I shouldn't just leave?"

"You could leave, but would that stop them?" he reminded her. "Running isn't the answer."

"Spare me your life lessons," she sighed, putting her head down. "I don't want to hear them."

"Suit yourself," he replied. "Most people find my life lessons useful."

"I'm not saying they're not," she remarked. "I'm just saying I don't want to hear them."

"Like a bratty kid," he said with a smirk.

"Yes," she replied with a small smile. "Like a bratty kid."

* * *

Far away, red lightening flashed in the sky as storm clouds churned. A lone bey spun in the dirt, puncturing rocks and trees and the ground itself. Ryuga stood a few feet away, staring wildly at his bey. His knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground, exhaling sharply. L-Drago rammed against another rock, but instead of breaking it, fell back onto the ground. Ryuga held out his hand and L-Drago flew towards it. About a foot away from his hand, the powerful bey slowed to a stop and fell onto its side. Cursing angrily, Ryuga grabbed the bey and stared at it. The metal was hot in his hands. He slammed it into the launcher and launched it again. The giant figure of a red dragon rose into the sky, circling menacingly. L-Drago wreaked destruction in the area, mowing down trees and plants and setting fire to everything in sight. And then, just like before, it wobbled to an unsteady stop and tipped over. The lightning flashed again and Ryuga let out a yell, falling to the ground. He clutched his sides, gritting his teeth, and called out to his bey. More lightening. More failure. Ryuga clambered over to where his bey had fell, pain searing through his head. He grabbed the bey and shoved it aggressively into his pocket.

Then he ran.

* * *

**Oooh I wonder what's happeninggggg. Hyoma is amazing. Anyway, this story takes place a bit after Metal Fury (4D), but it's not really technically correct cause the world is not in ruins and beyblade is still reigning strong and Ryuga is still materialistically present. So it's basically as if nothing happened except cooler beys and awesome characters like Yuki. That's right, Yuki's awesome. So...yeah, hope you liked this chapter. Leave a review to tell me what you think!**


	4. Taking the Stage

Two beys moved expertly around a large outdoor stadium. "Go, Lyra!" shouted Toby as his bey smashed into its opponent. The bey went flying and landed in a stadium out. Toby retrieved his bey, a smile on his face. "Great job, Rika!" he called. "You're getting really good!" On the other side of the stadium, a girl ran to pick up her bey.

"Thanks, Toby," she said happily. "Same goes for you!"

"Toby, Rika!" They turned to see Zeo walking up to them.

"Hey!" Toby greeted him with a fist bump. "That took a while."

"I know," he sighed. "How was the battle?"

"Toby won," Rika informed him. "But I was close this time!"

"That's awesome!" said Zeo. "It was great of Coach Steele to build this stadium in the back lot. Now we can really go all out!"

"You said it!" said Toby. "Are your repairs all done?"

"Yep!" Zeo pulled out his bey to show them. "How does it look?"

"It looks great!" Rika reached out and poked it. "But I'm still gonna beat you with _my_ Fox!" She held out her own bey, grinning.

"In your dreams, kid," laughed Zeo, ruffling her hair. "But let's just hope that you'll get to battle me during the traveling tournament. _That_ would be an awesome match."

"Yeah!" Rika's eyes lit up. "But I'll still beat you and win the whole thing!"

"That's the spirit!" Toby joined in. "Let's win that tournament for Team Dungeon!" They exchanged high fives.

"Hey! Toby, Zeo, Rika!" The team turned to see Masamune and King running towards them. "I brought lunch!" Masamune plunked a McDonalds takeout bag onto the table that was set up by the stadium.

"Wow, thanks, Masamune!" Rika exclaimed, grabbing a burger. "You're the best!"

"Here that, King? I'm the best!" Masamune declared.

"No way, I'm the best!" King shot back. "I got those burgers with you!" The two started to argue aggressively. Rika sighed and turned to Toby and Zeo.

"Better eat up, guys," she said, tossing them both burgers. "We'll need our energy for the traveling tournament!"

"Oh, man, I'm so pumped!" King cheered. "This is going to be so much fun!"

"How exactly is the tournament going to work, Zeo?" Rika asked.

"Well, we'll be competing individually, even though we signed up as a team," Zeo explained. "We'll be starting off at one destination for the first round, and then we'll move to another location for the next one. We'll get to battle at cool stadiums all around the world!"

"I can't wait!" Masamune's eyes glowed. "Hey, King, make sure you make it to the finals, okay?"

"Sure thing, Masamune," said King excitedly. "Just as long you last that long!"

"What? I could get to the finals in five seconds!" Masamune said angrily.

"Well, I could make it in two seconds!" King yelled back.

"Would you two stop making all that racket?" a voice snapped from behind them. Coach Steele walked up to them angrily. "Can't get any work done with you two around, can I? And I thought that building this stadium out here would help."

"It did help!" Rika said cheerfully. "Thanks again, Coach!"

"Well, you're welcome." Coach Steele grabbed a burger for himself.

"Hey, Coach, have you found out the location for the first round yet?" asked Toby.

"I have, actually," said Coach Steele. "It's down in Mexico, by the old Aztec ruins."

"Really?" Rika's eyes lit up. "Hey, Zeo, can we explore the ruins? Please?"

"Definitely," Zeo replied. "We can't go to Mexico without visiting the ruins."

"Oh, by the way," Coach Steele began. "I got in touch with Tsubasa over at the WBBA headquarters in Japan. He says that he and Gingka and the rest of them will be participating in the traveling tournament too."

"Really?" Masamune pumped his fist into the air. "Yes, Gingka's going!"

"Well this will be interesting," Toby remarked. "We haven't seen them for a long time."

"Doesn't matter," Zeo grinned. "I'm still going to take them all down!"

"Me too!" Rika piped up. "We better all make it to the finals!" She held up her hamburger. "To Team Dungeon!" The rest of them did the same as they all cheered.

...

Later that day, Rika sat in her room in the basement of the Dungeon Gym, typing away on her laptop. Words moved up the screen as she scanned a brief email. A world map popped up and she scrolled through it to an area in Japan. She pinpointed it with her mouse and a window popped up. _Downloading data…please wait._ A green light flashed and Rika pulled up a calendar, examining it closely. She marked a few times and then closed the laptop and slipped it into her bag. Then, she gathered a few things and hurried out of the room. As she rushed down the hall, she passed a brightly lit room and scurried to a stop, turning back. "Zeo!" Zeo was sitting in the room, polishing his bey. He turned around and stared at her surprise. "Are you leaving?"

"Yeah." She clasped her hands together awkwardly. He stood up and walked with her to the exit.

"The tournament is in a few days," he said, scratching his head. "You sure about this?"

"Yeah." She pressed her lips together and shrugged. "Sorry. But I'll be back in time, I promise."

"No worries." He looked down at her kindly. "We'll wait for you." Rika's face broke into a smile and she gave him a hug. "Thanks, Zeo."

Then she ran, turning and waving as she went off into the dark.

…

Red lightening flashed, but Ryuga was nowhere in sight. Five cloaked figures gathered around a rugged stadium, where a lone bey was spinning. Four other beys flew into the stadium and began to circle the bey at astounding speed, creating a mini tornado. The bey in the centre rose up into the air from the impact. Rika hid behind a rock not far away, continuing to type on her laptop rapidly. A stream of energy was drawn in from the clouds, sizzling with electricity. The bey tilted slightly, and the stream reflected off of its shiny face towards one of the figures who was standing at the edge of the stadium. Rika slammed her index finger down on the _Enter_ key and the multiple windows began to pop up as the computer processed her input. Letters and symbols flew past her eyes and stopped at a single phrase: ENERGY DRAIN. She turned and stared as the figure drew from his cloak a large red stone attached to a gold chain. The stream of energy hit the stone and glowed brightly in the hands of the figure. Taking a deep breath, Rika pulled out her bey from her bag and launched it at the mini tornado that spun wildly beneath the floating bey. In a heartbeat, the circling beys were knocked out and the floating bey fell to the ground, breaking the energy stream. Rika stood up on the rock and called out to her bey. "Go, Fox!" The bey flew into the air and knocked the red stone that the cloaked figure was holding. It spun against the stone for a few seconds and glowed a deep, hazardous red. Then it flew back at Rika, who caught it cleanly in her hand. Four of the figures grabbed their beys and ran, but the fifth, the one holding the stone, turned to Rika menacingly. "Who are you?" he called to her. "Why are you interfering?"

"Energy drain." She repeated the words from her computer. "And that thing." She pointed to the red stone.

"You hold a strong opinion for such few words," he said. "But we are doing this world a favor." The lightening flashed again, blinding Rika with its powerful light. When she opened her eyes, the figure was gone.

Rika stepped down from the rock, shielding her eyes from the dust storm. There was nothing but more barren land for miles. Exhausted, she collapsed onto the ground. _I'm done._ A whirring sound rang in her ears and she stared blankly up at the sky. A helicopter appeared in the sky and began to descend. The door opened and a rope ladder fell out. Rika stared up at it to see a few familiar faces waving at her. She hoisted herself onto the ladder and made her way up. Zeo pulled her into the helicopter and she leaned against the wall, letting out a deep sigh.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked, greeting them with a weak smile.

"We're heading to Mexico," Toby grinned. "Thought we'd pick you up on the way."

"This isn't on the way," Rika said with a soft laugh. "But thanks. I really appreciate it."

"It'll be quite a while before we get there, Rika," Zeo told her. "Why don't you take a nap?"

"Alright," she murmured, already drifting off. "Thanks, Zeo."

* * *

Dust fell from the ceiling, lit up by the sunlight streaming in through a foot-wide gape. He crawled through the narrow tunnel cautiously, keeping a lookout for traps and other dangers. It was a long passageway, and it was dark and silent, save for the sounds of water dripping or the occasional crack in the ceiling. He made his way through safely, and stumbled out into a large open space. The walls surrounding him were covered in symbols. He ran his hand carefully over the engravings, examining them closely. They consisted of a series of lines and arrows and strange drawings. "Hmm…" he mused quietly, thinking hard. He followed the symbols down yet another dark hallway, but found himself at a split road. Four passages stood in front of him, all beckoning equally to him. He stopped for a minute, bewildered. _Which one is the right one?_

Suddenly voices drifted out from one of the passages. "If there is a treasure, I bet I'll be the one to find it!"

"No way, it'll definitely be me!" He inhaled sharply and ducked behind a pillar. Five figures stepped out of the passage, looking around. "Huh? Where are we now?" He peered out from behind the pillar, surprised.

"Hey, who's there?" one of them called. He stepped out, smiling in relief.

"Well, if it isn't Team Dungeon," he greeted warmly. "What are you all doing here?"

"Ryuto!" Rika ran up and hugged him. "Wow, I can't believe you're here!"

"Hey, Ryuto!" The rest of the team followed up. "Long time no see, buddy!" Zeo exclaimed, exchanging a handshake. "We're here for the traveling tournament."

"Oh, yeah, I heard about that," Ryuto nodded. "It seems pretty exciting."

"That it is," Toby agreed. "But for now we're just exploring around here."

"Hey, King, Ryuto's here!" Masamune called. "Told ya there's treasure! And I'm gonna find it!"

"Hold on a second," Ryuto interrupted before they could burst out into another argument. "There's no treasure here."

"What?" Masamune stared at him in disbelief. "Then what are you doing here?"

"I'm looking towards deciphering these symbols," he explained, pointing at the walls. "The better you are at that, the more likely you are to find treasure!"

"Great! Then I'm on it!" Masamune ran to the walls. "You in, King?"

"Yeah!" King joined him and they started to examine the walls closely. Ryuto laughed and turned to the rest of the team. "Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it? Especially you." He poked Rika on her forehead, and she scrunched up her face. "What was it, like a year ago?"

"In Greece," she grinned. "I chased off some thieves for you."

"Oh yeah," he laughed, scratching his head. "You really were a kid back then."

"I'm still a kid," she pointed out. "Got leads on any big treasure lately?"

"Actually, yes. There have been rumours of some mysterious artifact that's been lost in the mists of time." He pulled out a map and showed her. "It's called the petrajadus, and it's said to be filled with energy that's been accumulating and compressed over time." He rubbed his hands together. "Something like that could be worth a whole lot of money."

"That's awesome!" Rika took the map and stared at it. "But what does it do?"

"Dunno," he replied. "Guess I'll just have to find out when I get there. You should come with! I wouldn't be much of a mentor if I didn't teach you anything."

"That would be awesome!" Rika's face lit up.

"Don't go running off just yet, Rika," Zeo reminded her. "We've still got a tournament to win!"

"I know, I know!" Rika handed the map back to Ryuto. "But I can come with you after the tournament's over, right?"

"Sure thing, kid." He ruffled her hair. "But focus on your tournament for now. Make sure to get in the big leagues." He gave her a thumbs up.

"Masamune! King! We're heading back up now!" Toby called. "Hurry up or you'll get stuck down here!"

"Bye, Ryuto!" Rika gave Ryuto another hug. "We'll see you after the tournament!" Ryuto waved as they ran back through the passageway out into the sunlight.

* * *

The five friends headed back into the city, just in time to see the team from Japan arriving. "Hey, it's Gingka!" Masamune exclaimed, pointing. He and King ran towards them excitedly. "Gingka! You guys are finally here!"

"Masamune!" Gingka dropped his stuff and ran to meet them. "It's been such a long time!" The rest of the team caught up with him, dragging their bags.

"Thanks for helping, Gingka," Madoka said, gasping for breath. "Man, these are heavy." The remaining members of Team Dungeon followed behind Masamune to meet the newcomers.

"Wow, Gingka Hagane!" Rika ran up to them eagerly. "I've heard so much about-" Suddenly, she stopped short, her mouth falling open. "Natsumi?" Natsumi looked up, blinking. Her gaze landed on Rika and her eyes widened. "Rika?" she gasped as the girl ran up and hugged her. "Oh my goodness." Rika pulled away and stared at her in awe for a few moments.

"Well this is…coincidental," she said at last. Natsumi shook her head in disbelief.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Participating in the traveling tournament…with Team Dungeon?" Rika gestured awkwardly at her friends.

"Please don't tell me this is your sister." Tsubasa came up from behind them.

"She's the one." Natsumi smiled weakly. "I figured I'd see you again somewhere. I just didn't think it would be here, of all places."

"Yeah, well I think it's more like I didn't think_ you'd_ be here," said Rika. "At a _beyblade_ tournament? Really?" Natsumi sighed.

"Rika, this is Tsubasa," she introduced. "Tsubasa, Rika." Tsubasa dipped his head at her while she stared at him curiously.

"How'd you get to be with Team Dungeon?" he asked her.

"I ran into them at a tournament in America," she told him. "During a big Battle Royale, Toby and Zeo rescued me from some scheming cheater." She smiled at the memory. "I'm not really part of the team, honestly, cause I move around a lot."

"That's not true," Zeo interjected. "You are part of the team, even if you're not around all the time." He grinned at Tsubasa. "It's good to see you, Tsubasa. I see you've met the newest member of Team Dungeon."

"I have," Tsubasa replied. "And I assume you guys have all been polishing your skills for the tournament?"

"Of course we have!" Toby joined in the conversation. "We're ready for anything!"

"Great," said Tsubasa. "It wouldn't be fun without a challenge!" The three members of Team Dungeon joined Masamune and King in a heated conversation with Gingka, leaving them alone.

"Funny you didn't mention that your sister was a blader," Tsubasa remarked.

"Didn't I?" Natsumi shrugged. "It's natural, I guess. She's eager and adventurous. I'm not."

"I see the resemblance," he sighed. "You used to be the same, didn't you?"

"Maybe." She stuck up her chin. "What's it to you?"

"At least I know you've got it in you," he remarked, laughing. "Come on, let's get going." The gang headed out, talking and laughing all the way.

Another tournament was about to begin.

* * *

"Welcome, bladers everywhere, to the traveling tournament!" Cheers erupted in the stands as everyone gathered around a large stone stadium. "The exciting first round takes place in Mexico, in a unique stadium by the Aztec ruins! Let's get started! The first battle is between Kenta and Tristan!"

"Kenta, you're up first!" Gingka nudged his friend. "Go out there and bring em' home!" They exchanged a high five and Kenta ran out onto the stadium. A boy stood opposite to him, holding a bey. "Three, two one!" The two beys flew into the stadium.

"Go, Sagittario!" Kenta yelled.

"Madoka, what kind of bey does that guy have?" Gingka asked.

"It's a Virgo," Madoka replied, scanning the bey with her computer. "But there's something strange about it."

"Virgo, Dynamite Buster!" Tristan called. Virgo's performance tip suddenly sank into the ground, a series of explosions erupted throughout the stadium, throwing Sagittario aside.

"Virgo's releasing energy waved through the ground the causes explosions all over the stadium!" Madoka gasped. "That's bad news for Kenta!"

"No!" Kenta gripped the bars in front of him. "Hold on, Sagittario!" Sagittario regained its balance and headed towards Virgo, but the craters created by the explosions slowed it down. Kenta bit his lip, thinking hard. "I guess I'll just have to attack from above! Go, Sagittario!" Sagittario flew up from the edge of the stadium and dive bombed at Virgo, landing a direct hit. Virgo flew out of the stadium, landing with a _clink! _on the ground in front of Tristan. He stared at his bey in disbelief and the crowd went wild.

"Great job, Kenta!" Gingka cheered. "You did it!" Kenta turned around and waved happily at his friends."

"That was fast," Tsubasa mused. "Kenta's power is really off the charts." Natsumi nodded in agreement. Kenta ran into the stands and was attacked by a series of hugs and pats on the back.

"You were awesome, Ken-chi!" yelled Yu. "I hope I'll get to battle you later on!"

"Yeah, me too, Yu!" Kenta grinned from ear to ear as his friends commended him for his good work.

* * *

A few battles later, the teams were almost worn out from all the excitement. "Great win, Yu!" Kenta called as Yu made his way to his seat. "That was such an awesome battle!"

"Aww, thanks, Ken-chi! But I'm just waiting for the real battles to start!"

"Yeah, me too!" Kenta and Yu exchanged a high five.

"Alright, folks, hold your forks, cause the last battle of the day is between Tsubasa and Rika!" The sun was blazing ball of light behind them, casting shadows across the stadium floor. Tsubasa glanced at Natsumi, who had a pained look on her face

"Do you disapprove?" he asked her.

"No, no," she replied. "I really don't. It's just weird how different we are now."

"Don't sweat it," he told her. "But maybe seeing her battle will light something in you." He flexed his fingers and made his way down to the stadium.

* * *

"I can see you've got spirit," Tsubasa called across the stadium. "Let's see if it shows in your performance." Rika grinned, positioning her bey.

"Bring it on!" she replied enthusiastically. "My Sky Fox and I are gonna take you down! Three!"

"Two!" Tsubasa held up his own bey.

"One!" The two beys launched into the stadium, clashing immediately.

"Go, Sky Fox!" Rika's bey snaked through the stadium, evading Eagle's attacks.

"Fly, Eagle!" Eagle raced to the edge of the stadium and flew into the air. "Smashing Claw!" Eagle began to launch attacks and Fox, who fought helplessly against them. "Still think you can take me down?" Tsubasa smirked. Rika laughed, leaning forward.

"I haven't even made a single move yet!" she called. "Go, Fox! Wind Crusher!" Fox flew into the air and dropped down suddenly onto the stadium floor, puncturing the hard stone. The impact caused Eagle to fall from the sky and land in the crack. Tsubasa gritted his teeth as Eagle struggled to get out of the crack. "Alright, now's your chance!" Fox headed swiftly towards Eagle. At the same time, Eagle flipped its way out of the crack and spun off in the opposite direction. It came around the back and slammed into Fox, throwing it into the air.

"Fox isn't fast enough to catch Eagle," said Madoka, staring at her computer screen. "Rika's tactics are pretty smart, but Tsubasa seems to still have the upper hand." Natsumi leaned forward in her seat, watching the battle intently.

"Go, Fox! Sky Barrel Attack!" Fox launched itself like a bullet at Eagle, but the agile bey quickly dodged out of the way. Eagle smashed into Fox again, causing it to skid backwards. "We gotta keep trying!" Rika yelled. "Fox!" Once again, Fox headed towards Eagle at top speed, but the same thing happened again.

"Is that all you've got?" Tsubasa called. "Haven't you learned that your moves are too slow for my Eagle?"

_It's gotta work_, Rika thought to herself. _I have to try again!_ "Goooo, Fox! Sky Barrel Attack!" Fox changed direction and moved towards Eagle again.

"You're wasting your time! Go, Eagle!" Eagle screeched as it began moving in the opposite direction, threatening to throw Fox out again.

Suddenly, Fox glowed a hazardous red and bulleted towards Eagle, so fast that it looked like it was teleporting. It smashed Eagle far out of the stadium and then rammed into the wall, causing a huge explosion that threw both Rika and Tsubasa backwards. Eagle dropped to the ground, defeated. At the same time, Fox also stopped spinning, stuck in the wall of the stadium. Rika's mouth dropped open. "What was that?" She ran down to retrieve her bey, confused.

"Wait, what happened?" Gingka scratched his head. "It was all so fast."

"I don't know, but Fox just got a huge increase in energy," Madoka told him. "And when I say huge, I mean _huge_. Like, scary huge."

"But where did it come from?" Kenta stared out at the stadium, bewildered. Natsumi ran from her seat down to the floor.

"Rika!" she called. Rika climbed to her feet, still shocked from the battle. "What happened?"

"I don't know!" Rika stared at her bey. "It was weird!" Tsubasa walked over to them calmly.

"Looks like you got a power up, Rika," he told her. "It could be a useful tool if you can learn to control it."

"I swear I've never seen anything like it before," Rika mused. "Maybe it was a fluke."

"Maybe it was," he replied. "But I feel like it was something else." He exchanged a glance with Natsumi, and then directed his gaze at the sky. Natsumi looked up to see clouds forming over the stadium. "Damn it," she muttered. "Rika…" She grabbed her sister's hand and ran, Tsubasa following close behind.

"Wait, where are they going?" Gingka jumped to his feet. "Something's happening!" He ran down from the stands.

"Gingka!" Kenta ran after him, with Madoka and Yu in tow. Across the stadium, Team Dungeon had noticed the same thing and also took off. The three runners got about a few yards outside the stadium when red lightening struck their path. They jumped back, and the light died down to reveal a figure standing before them.

Ryuga was back.

* * *

**Rika is kind of like a mini lone ranger. Or a mini Tsubasa, I suppose, cause Tsubasa is kind of a lone ranger. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter! I'm really trying to get this plot moving. Yeaaah, leave a review! Always appreciated ^o^**

**PS: Team Dungeon 3**


	5. The Fight for Power

**I know what you're thinkg: New chapter already? It's cause I have no life. **

* * *

Red lightening flashed threateningly across the grey clouds as the group of bladers stood underneath, facing off silently.

"Is that really Ryuga?" Yu whispered. "He looks to different!"

"It's him alright," Gingka replied, staring evenly at Ryuga. "But there's something wrong…"

Ryuga's gaze swept over them menacingly. It wavered over Natsumi for a split second, and then landed on Rika.

"You," he growled, pointing at her. "You're the one!" Natsumi grabbed her sister and pulled her back.

"Don't lay a hand on her," she snapped. Ryuga took a step forward and stumbled, clenching his teeth.

"Ryuga, what's happening to you?" Gingka called. Ryuga ignored him and loomed over Rika threateningly. The little girl's eyes got big as something dawned on her.

"Energy drain…" she breathed. "But…but I don't have it…" Ryuga roared, pulling out L-Drago.

"Don't tell me that!" In a fit of rage, Ryuga launched his bey. A giant dragon beast of L-Drago rose into the air and attacked Rika. With a cry, she was thrown backwards, landing hard on her side.

"Stop it, Ryuga!" Kenta cried. "You'll hurt her!" Rika staggered to her feet, barely able to stand.

"I don't have it," she called hoarsely. "I mean, I do, but I didn't take it!"

"I don't have time for your explanations!" Ryuga snapped. "You _will_ give me back my power! L-Drago!" L-Drago flew towards Rika again.

"No!" Natsumi impulsively launched her bey at Ryuga. Everyone else followed her, and soon a barrage of beys was flying towards L-Drago.

On impact, a huge explosion erupted, throwing everyone back. Tsubasa's ears roared and he fought to stay standing. Energy rushed outwards and dust whipped through the air, making it impossible to see. Tsubasa tried to search for his friends, to no avail. Suddenly, he felt a tiny hand being thrust into his own. "Look out for her," a voice hissed into his ear. "I'm counting on you." Slowly, the roaring died down and the dust cleared. Tsubasa managed to sit up, only to see that everyone had been blown away. Neither Natsumi nor Ryuga were anywhere to be seen. He looked down at Rika, who was lying beside him, barely conscious. "Rika?" The girl stirred, mumbling inaudibly.

"Natsumi…" she murmured.

"Do you know where she went?" he asked quietly. Rika's eyelids fluttered. Her energy was running out fast.

"Ryuto," she breathed. Then she turned over on the ground and passed out. Tsubasa picked her up in his arms and joined the others.

"Come on," he said. "There's nothing more we can do here." Everyone slowly got to their feet, grunting and groaning all the way, and headed back to the city.

* * *

"Wow, looks like the tournament was a little bit too intense." Rika laughed hoarsely as she lay in the hospital bed. Ryuto sat next to her, an intrigued look on his face. "That Ryuga," he said, shaking his head. "Always freaking out over everything. He needs to take a chill pill. Anyway, what did you want me for?"

"Well," Rika began slowly. "Remember when you said you would take me to go treasure hunting with you?" Ryuto stared at her, surprised.

"The tournament is still going," he reminded her. "Besides, you're in no shape to travel, Rika. You know that."

"This is important," she rasped. "I gotta find my sister. She could be in trouble. And I really could use your help." Ryuto shook his head slowly.

"I don't really understand what you're getting at," he sighed. "But you've never failed me before."

"I'll help you find the petrajadus," she offered.

"Deal," he grinned. "But I'm not sure they'll let you out of here. You were really beat up out there."

"It's okay, we'll just not tell them," she said. "Except Tsubasa's standing outside so he can probably hear everything we're saying."

"And I don't think this is a good idea." Tsubasa walked into the room. "Rika, you're badly hurt. You shouldn't be running off anywhere until you've recovered. I'll go with Ryuto. You stay here."

"No! I have to go!" Rika sat up, wincing from the pain. "No one knows those mountains better than I do! If Natsumi's there, then I can find her for sure!" She bit her lip, staring at Tsubasa fearfully. "But I can't face Ryuga on my own. I need your help. Both of you."

"You don't have to ask me again," said Ryuto.

"I'm coming too," Tsubasa put in. "Natsumi told me to look out for you."

"Great, I'm glad we all agree. Now let's go." Rika prepared to hop out of the bed.

"No." Tsubasa held out his hand. "Not until tomorrow. You need to rest, Rika." Rika sighed in annoyance.

"Fine," she muttered. "But no later than tomorrow. We have to find Natsumi!"

"Get some sleep, Rika." Ryuto patted her head. "You'll need all your strength if we're going to go treasure hunting." Tsubasa turned to the window, staring up at the sky. _Keep your head up, Natsumi. We're coming._

* * *

_Running._

_Always…running._

The cities flew past.

The valley and lakes flew past.

Miles of nothingness flew past.

She didn't stop.

Not until the sun had long since slipped beneath the horizon.

Not until the stars speckled the sky like spilled milk over a black sheet.

Not until she was home.

The mountains loomed over her, a rock solid façade to the secrets it held. _It's been a long time_, she thought.

* * *

_"I dub this…Mount Natsumi and Rika!" Rika planted a flag into the rock. Natsumi waved it off dismissively._

_"Don't do that!" she told her. "Come on, let's look for a good place to make a stadium. We came out here so we could beyblade, so we should do it!"_

_"Good idea!" Rika scurried after her as she headed up the rocky mountain path. They ventured through the mountains until they came across a flat plain of rock. _

_"This is perfect." Natsumi pulled out her bey. "Go, Sky Lynx!" _

_"Go, Sky Fox!" The two girls launched their beys onto the rock, and together they created a smooth stadium to practice on. "Up for a battle, Rika?" said Natsumi with a grin. _

_"You know I am!" Rika jumped onto the nearest rock to match up to her sister's height. "Let's go!"_

* * *

Natsumi slid down into the stadium, pain filling her chest. _So many battles left behind…_

* * *

_"Natsumi! You'll never guess what I just found!" Rika dashed into the cave where Natsumi had made a fire._

_"Rika, you've gotta stop running off," she scolded. "You could easily get lost up here!"_

_"But you have to come see this!" Rika grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the cave. "Come on, faster!" Natsumi followed Rika over the stream and up a hill to a rugged cliff face. _

_"What am I supposed to be seeing here?" asked Natsumi, looking around._

_"Look!" Rika grabbed a large boulder that was piled up at the cliff face, and heaved it off. "It's a tunnel! It's just covered by the rocks!" Natsumi raised an eyebrow warily, but helped her sister clear the rocks. When they were finished, a dark opening stood in front of them. "Let's explore it!" Rika ran excitedly into the tunnel. _

_"Wait!" Natsumi ran after her. "It could be dangerous!" _

_"That makes it even cooler!" Rika called behind her shoulder. Natsumi stared in awe at the walls around here. _

_"These must have been here for a long, long time," she murmured to herself. "These mountains haven't changed a bit, even after hundreds of years, probably."_

* * *

_Always constant._ Natsumi stood in front of the passage, unmoving. _You never change._ Taking a deep breath, she ran into the tunnel.

* * *

"Are you sure you know how to drive this thing, Ryuto?" Tsubasa asked, scratching his head. The three friends sat in a large motorboat that was floating in the water. The morning sun shone down over them as they prepared the first leg of their trip.

"Sure, I've driven a million of these before." Ryuto gripped the steering wheel of the motorboat, a look of either determination or craziness on his face. "Now let's get going!" Tsubasa was thrown back as the motorboat sped forward suddenly. He climbed slowly to his feet and joined Rika at the back of the boat.

"I feel like this is a recipe for failure," he muttered.

"You oughtta get out more," she replied. "Taking crazy risks is usually the best way to accomplish stuff."

"Right," he remarked. "You sound just like your sister."

"I know." Rika shot him her signature Cheshire Cat grin.

"So tell me," Tsubasa began, sitting down on the bench. "What exactly have you been doing since you and Natsumi split? Other than hanging around with Team Dungeon, I mean." Rika shrugged, staring out into the ocean.

"I don't know, running around, searching for treasure, stopping evildoers. What else is there to do?"

"I'm impressed," he said. "Is that how you got Ryuga's power?"

"It was an accident!" Her face darkened. "There were people. They were doing some weird thing with their beys to remotely drain Ryuga's power. I was trying to stop them, but some of L-Drago's energy was transferred to my bey." She pulled out Sky Fox and handed it to Tsubasa, who examined it closely.

"It's unpredictable right now," he mused. "But maybe it'll show its full power later on. What you have to do is continue to train."

"I will." Rika nodded with determination. "I never stop training." Tsubasa tossed the bey back to her.

"Good," he said. "Because you'll need it more than ever right now."

* * *

The tunnels wound through the mountains, an intricate network of passageways that cut through every corner. It was a maze, a labyrinth that would get you so lost that you wouldn't be able to tell up from down. But as she raced through the dark tunnels, she knew every turn, every path. And then at last, she reached her destination. She stepped out from the tunnel into a spacious cave. Shimmering green light reflected off the walls, and she slowly made her way to the far side of the cave. There, half embedded in a rock pedestal sat a large stone. It glowed green and emanated energy throughout the cave. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she stared at it, horrible memories racing through her head. _Stupid rock_, she thought. _Why'd you have to be here?_

Suddenly, a roar sounded from down the tunnel. Her head snapped up to see a fearsome red dragon bursting through the entrance. The dragon circled around the entire cave, whipping its long tail. Then Ryuga stepped into the cave, gasping for breath. He crumbled to his knees and the dragon faded. "Power," he wailed. "I need…the power…"

"Stay away from it!" Natsumi stood in front of the stone, blocking his path. "I won't let you have it!"

"Get out…of my way!" L-Drago flew at her threateningly. In an instant, Natsumi launched her bey to meet it. The two beys clashed and flew backwards. Ryuga's eyes widened as another bout of pain struck him. "L-Drago!" he gasped. "Get…the power!"

"You're crazy!" Natsumi guided her bey towards L-Drago. "You're power-deprived and crazy! And I can't believe you followed me here!"

"Do not…interfere…" L-Drago slammed into Lynx, sending it flying. Lynx crashed into the cave wall, creating a large crack.

"No, Lynx!" Natsumi cried.

"Go, L-Drago!" yelled Ryuga. L-Drago powered up, although it didn't do much, and then launched itself at the stone. For a second, the bey and the stone made contact. Then, L-Drago was thrown back with a great force of energy, hitting the wall. Ryuga stared in disbelief. "Again, L-Drago!" he called. L-Drago tried again, to no avail. At this point, the dragon bey's spin power was decreasing fast.

"Fox!" Natsumi called desperately. _I've gotta defend this place…_ The two beys battled relentlessly in the cave, neither willing to give up. But L-Drago was running out of stamina, and Ryuga knew it. Along with L-Drago, he too was fading fast.

"Let's finish this, L-Drago!" L-Drago flew at Fox again with all the energy it had left, but Ryuga's vision was beginning to blur and his aim was off. L-Drago smashed into Fox at the wrong angle, sending it flying straight towards the stone.

"No!" Natsumi gasped. Fox struck the stone hard, spinning against it for a few moments. Then, the stone shattered, exploding into a giant ball of green light. Natsumi's mouth dropped as her bey was suspended in the powerful energy. The green light spiraled into the face bolt of the bey until it was all gone, and the bey fell with _clink!_ on the ground. Natsumi ran over the retrieve it and held it in her hand. She could feel the power pulsing inside of the metal. She stared at it in disbelief, and then at Ryuga, who had collapsed on the ground, passed out. For a moment, she felt like fainting as well. But instead, she walked over and picked up L-Drago, a bit intimidated to hold such a legendary bey in her hand, and then dragged the unconscious Ryuga out of the tunnels.

* * *

"Are you two sure you know where we're going?" The three friends were trekking through the mountain trails. "We've been walking for hours now with no sign of change."

"Don't worry, Tsubasa, we're almost there," said Rika cheerfully. "Just keep your head up. I used to live here, remember? Now let me think." She pondered quietly to herself. "If I were Natsumi, where would I be?" She glanced up at the sky. "Look!" The other two followed her gaze to a stream of smoke rising in the distance. "I knew she'd be here! Come on!" They ran through the trees, over streams and rocks until they reached a tunnel. Without hesitating for even a second, Rika disappeared into the dark.

"Wait!" Tsubasa ran after her, Ryuto following close behind. "Are you sure this is safe?"

"Stop worrying, Tsubasa!" Rika's voice echoed down the tunnel. "We have to find Natsumi!" They followed her through one turn, two turns, three turns, until Tsubasa couldn't even remember how many turns they had made. After what seemed like forever, a light appeared ahead of them, and they ran out of the tunnel, finding themselves at a cliff overlooking the forest. A campfire had been set up in the middle of the small open space, and Natsumi sat on one side of the cliff, her head lowered. On the other side lay Ryuga, still unconscious.

"What the heck is going on here?" Ryuto stared at the setup in front of them. "Are they okay?"

"Natsumi!" Rika ran over to her sister, shaking her. Natsumi lifted her head wearily, her eyes widening as she noticed the presence of the newcomers.

"Rika?" she murmured. "Tsubasa? What are you guys doing here?"

"Did you really think we wouldn't come after you?" Tsubasa offered her a small smile, which she returned halfheartedly.

"What happened?" Rika asked her, looking around.

"The stone," Natsumi sighed. "It's gone now." Rika's eyebrows shot up.

"Did he take it?" she gasped, glancing at Ryuga. Natsumi shook her head and handed her sister her bey. Rika stared at the bey in disbelief. The normally cold metal was hot and glowing green. "It's in your bey?" Natsumi nodded slowly. "And what about him?"

"Out." Natsumi gazed calmly at Ryuga. "No more energy."

"But…he's alive?" Tsubasa asked.

"Yeah…" Natsumi took back her bey and slipped it into her bag. "For now, I guess."

"But where's it all gone?" Ryuto looked confused. "You can't possibly expect that much energy to just disappear."

"Is it in Sky Fox?" Tsubasa gestured to Rika, who shook her head.

"Only a fragment is in Sky Fox," she told him. "The rest of it…" She pulled out her laptop and started to type again, searching through the map. "Energy drain. Red amulet."

"It's in someone's possession," Natsumi guessed. "And that someone could use it for something really evil."

"Can you find them, Rika?" asked Ryuto.

"Yes." Rika closed her laptop and stared up at her friends. "But what about Ryuga? We can't just leave him here by himself!"

"Think of all the havoc he could wreak if he wakes up," Natsumi added.

"We'll bring him with us," Tsubasa decided. "We can leave him in the boat or something. I don't know, but he has to go somewhere.

"Alright then." Natsumi stood up. "Let's get going. I really want to be able to sleep again."

"Me too," said Rika, giving her sister a hug. "So what's our plan?"

"We find those cronies, and show them what happens when you mess with the dragon emperor!" Ryuto pumped his fist in the air. "His friends will come get you!"

"We're not his friends," Natsumi remarked. "But okay, whatever."

"Hey, I'm his friend!" Ryuto protested. Then he glanced at Ryuga and frowned. "Okay, I guess not, but still!"

"Let's move." Tsubasa threw dirt over the fire to put it out, and the four friends plus Ryuga headed back through the tunnels once again, ready to fight, both for Ryuga and for themselves.

* * *

**YAY STUFF HAPPENING.** **Okay so Natsumi ran because once again, she didn't want to face Ryuga and running is what she does. Also she knew that Ryuga wouldn't stick around, but not that he would follow her. The stone/petrajadus has always repelled everything that touches it, so this was a first for Natsumi. And Rika asked Ryuto to take her treasure hunting because she knew that he was looking for the petrajadus and suspected that Natsumi had gone home. And Ryuga's super mega ultra bey spirit ahs been sucked out of him, along with all of L-Drago's power, so he's pretty much dead. But he's physically hanging on, so technically he's still alive. It's kinda like when he drained the souls of the bladers that he defeated. HOW DOES IT FEEL, RYUGA? Yes anyway hope you liked that chapter, and I also hoped that this cleared things up a bit. ^.^ Thanks for reading!**


	6. Restoration

**And now, the thrilling conclusion to my story The Roadrunner!**

**It's not actually that thrilling. Maybe it's a bit thrilling. But thanks for reading, and I really hope you liked my story! :)**

* * *

"Well look who it is, Miss Always Running Away." Rika's face lit up as Zeo appeared on the screen. The four friends and Ryuga were speeding away on the boat.

"Zeo!" she exclaimed happily. "Hi!"

"You're alive!" Zeo grinned. "What's happening?"

"We're going to save Ryuga!" Rika gestured to her friends. "That's pretty much it."  
"Ryuga?" Zeo raised an eyebrow. "What has he ever done for you guys?"

"Besides saving the world a couple times now?" she remarked. "Not much, I suppose."

"You got me there," Zeo laughed. "Well, wish we could be there, but our hands are tied right now with the tournament going on. But we'll catch up as soon as possible, I promise. Stay safe, alright?"

"Don't worry about me," she told him. "I've got Natsumi, _and_ Tsubasa, _and_ Ryuto, _and_…I can take care of myself."

"It appears so," Zeo nodded. "Well, we're all rooting for you over here."

"I'm rooting for you guys too!" she replied. "Win it big down there, okay?"

"You've got it!" The screen went blank as Zeo left and Rika turned back to her companions.

"So, Rika," Tsubasa began. "You said that you launched your bey at the red stone, and that's how the energy got transferred to your bey?"

"Yup," she said. "Similar to the way L-Drago spins against its opponents to drain their spin power."

"But L-Drago has no power," Natsumi reminded them. "How is it supposed to spin against the red stone to get its power back?"

"More importantly, Ryuga isn't exactly physically able to even launch L-Drago." Ryuto gestured to the unconscious Ryuga. "So how's this gonna work?"

"I have no idea!" Rika threw up her hands. "It's all kind of problematic." They sat in silence for a few moments.

"Ryuga's energy might regenerate," Tsubasa said at last. "He is human, after all. He probably won't be strong, but he might just be strong enough to get L-Drago's power back."

"It's probably better if he's not strong so he won't go rampaging again," Natsumi added. The boat arrived at the shore and they unloaded.

"Let's go!" Rika bounced up and down with anticipation. Tsubasa looked over at Natsumi.

"How's your bey?" he asked her.

"Hasn't changed," she replied, handing it to him. He examined it for a few moments. The bey was still glowing and pulsing.

"I don't want you using it right now," he told her. "We just don't know what would happen. There's a whole lot of power in there, and you might not be able to control it."

"Likely not," she said with a nod. "So what do you want me to do?"

"Stay here," he instructed. "Watch over Ryuga."

"Great," she muttered. "My favourite thing." He gave her a small smile and patted her shoulder.

"Good luck," he said quietly. The three of them ran off, leaving Natsumi by herself. Well, with Ryuga, but basically by herself.

* * *

It wasn't until maybe one or two hours later that Ryuga stirred. Natsumi, who had been sitting in the sand the whole time, processing her thoughts, flinched when she saw the great dragon emperor awaken. There were a few groans and then he spoke up. "What…what happened?"

"You got drained," she answered bluntly. Ryuga staggered to his feet, holding on to the side of the boat for support. "L…L-Drago…" Natsumi tossed him the dragon bey, which he caught, staring at it incredulously.

"Don't even bother with it," she told him. "It's pretty much dead."

"No…" Ryuga shook his head in disbelief. "It can't be…"

"Yeah, I know," she sighed. "Karma's a jerk."

"Don't mock me!" he snapped, stepping out of the boat. "Where is L-Drago's power? Tell me now!"

"Some weird guys have it or something," she said with a shrug. "We're working on it, so just calm yourself. You're in no shape to freak out over anything right now."

"Says you…" He began to walk inland, ignoring Natsumi altogether. Natsumi groaned and got to her feet. She planted herself right in front of him, positioning her bey.

"Don't go any further," she warned. "It's could be dangerous and you can't defend yourself. Just stay here."

"Oh, yeah?" he laughed. "And how do you plan on stopping me?"

"I have all the power of…that green thing in my bey," she said evenly. "You have no power. If I unleash this on you, God knows what would happen." Ryuga stared at the glowing bey.

"Impossible…" he barked. "You can't possibly possess that much power!"

"Yeah, that's what I figured when _you_ tried to do it," she shot back. "Mr. I'm-the-dragon-emperor-so-I-can-possess-as-much-po wer-as-I-want-with-no-regards-to-my-well-being!"

"Well then. Somebody's forgetting who they're up against." They had a moment of just glaring at each other. "Just wait till this is over. You _will_ battle me."

"I don't even care that you're weak and helpless," she snapped. "I'm still not going to battle you. You've got nothing to battle for anyway. All the power is in my bey already. Unless you want to steal it all for yourself, to which I say…no." More glaring. Frustrated, he launched his bey at her. L-Drago flew from the launcher and fell to the ground, defeated before it had even started spinning. "No!" His eyes bulged and he crumbled to the ground. "This can't…be happening!" His coat fell off his shoulders and he lay on dust beach, having completely fallen apart. Natsumi stared at him, unsure of what to think. _The almighty dragon emperor has fallen._ He just looked so defeated, so powerless. _Those cowards…draining his energy remotely. What a dirty trick._ She sighed and picked up the bey from the ground. "Get up," she instructed firmly. "I'll take you to get your stupid power back." For a moment he didn't move. She glared angrily at him. "Are you really going to give up?" He slowly got to his feet and followed her down the beach into the trees.

* * *

Three figures hid behind a group of trees beside a very vulnerable looking campsite.

"Alright," Rika whispered. "What's the plan, guys?"

"I think they're all sleeping." Ryuto squinted in the direction of the camp. "It is pretty early."

"Let's wait till they come out, and then we'll see what we can do," Tsubasa told them. The sun moved slowly across the sky and people began to trickle out of the tents. They gathered around a fire in the centre of the campsite and spoke quietly to each other.

"We're not going to be able to do much by hiding," Ryuto whispered. "Let's just go get them!"

"They'll overpower us," Rika argued. "They've got Ryuga's power, _remember_? We should strategize."

"Well, what _can_ we do?" Tsubasa stared at the gathered people intently.

"How about we fly down from the trees and tackle them?" Ryuto suggested. "If we take them by surprise, we can steal the stone!"

"We don't have wings, Ryuto," Rika reminded him. "But maybe we can distract them or something." They huddled and whispered to each other for a few moments, and then split up in three different directions.

* * *

At the camp, the unsuspecting group of people ate breakfast.

"Nice day, huh?" one of them grunted.

"Yeah. Real quiet," said another. Suddenly, there was a crash at the side of the camp. The people jumped up to look. A lone bey spun innocently in the dust.

"What the heck?" They ran over to investigate. Explosions erupted the ground as two more beys appeared, knocking them over. Tsubasa, Rika, and Ryuto leaped out into the clearing, tackling them to the ground. The people fended them off easily, throwing them aside.

"I think you forgot one small detail, Rika," said Tsubasa through gritted teeth. "We're clearly outnumbered here."

"My brain is not fully developed, Tsubasa," she hissed back. "I don't take everything into account."

"We can't give up now! Dragonis!" Ryuto's bey set off a series of explosions.

"Get them!" one of the people shouted. Simultaneously, they launched their beys, and the two groups clashed with a _bang_.

"Go, Eagle! Metal Wing Smash!" Tsubasa called.

"Fox Sky Barrel Attack!" Rika yelled. Their opponent's beys were thrown aside, defeated.

"Give us the stone!" Ryuto demanded.

"Not so fast!" A man stalked up to them. "Go, Dark Corvus!" A bey flew at them, glowing red.

"It has Ryuga's power!" Rika gasped. "And that guy has the red stone!" Half hidden by his cloak, the strange red stone hung around his neck. Corvus spun faster, unleashing waves of energy that threw them all backwards. Rika landed in the dust with a grunt. "No, Fox!" Her bey moved towards her. "Come on, guys, get that stone!" The man laughed evilly.

"_Get that stone_," he mocked. "You think you can face this kind of power? Fools!" Corvus glowed red and released more powerful waves. Rika clung to the ground, struggling to stay steadfast while the energy pulsed past her.

"We're got to stop them!" Rika's eyes flickered to her bey. "_Fox!_ I need you to use your power!" She squeezed her eyes shut in desperation. Fox reared up and flew towards Corvus. It glowed the same hazardous red and slammed into the other bey, sending it flying. _So much power…_Rika gazed at her bey in awe. The man balled his hands into fists.

"So it's you who possesses the rest of my power!" he growled.

"It's not your power, it's Ryuga's!" Rika staggered to her feet. "And it's hard earned too! You can't just steal something that someone's worked tirelessly for years and years to obtain!"

"I believe I already have! Corvus!" Corvus rose into the air, unleashing another bout of energy.

"Ugh…" Rika flew backwards, clinging desperately to the ground. "Stop it!"

"I'll show you!" The man and his bey advanced on her. Rika stared at them fearfully, vaguely aware of her immobile friends lying nearby. Her childish instincts kicked in and she let out a shriek. "_Natsumi!_"

"Rika!" To her shock, she saw in the corner of her eye Natsumi running towards them, with Ryuga in tow. "No, wait! It's not safe!" she called quickly. "Don't come here!"

"Don't you dare hurt her!" Natsumi yelled hoarsely.

"Stay out of this!" the man shot at her. "Or I'll destroy you too!"

"You coward!" Ryuga raged. "Give me my power back or you'll be the one who'll be destroyed!"

"Oh, yeah?" the man laughed. "And who's going to destroy me? _You?_ Corvus, get her!" Corvus launched itself towards Rika and Fox.

"No!" Natsumi screamed. She launched her bey, glowing green and all. Rika stared as Lynx seemed to disappear and reappear around in the dust, setting off a series of blasts that exploded like firecrackers. The ground erupted and Corvus was thrown aside. At the speed of light, Lynx rammed it again, sending it crashing into the ground. Rika's mouth dropped in disbelief. _And I thought I couldn't possibly see more power._

"Natsumi!" With Corvus's attacks wavering, Tsubasa and Ryuto got up and ran over to them. Natsumi turned to them fearfully.

"What do I do?" she asked, the slashing green light reflecting in her eyes.

"Lynx is your bey," Tsubasa told her calmly. "You must be able to control it." Natsumi shook her head, staring out at the rampaging Lynx as it battered at Corvus ruthlessly. The man could do nothing but stare helplessly as his bey was beaten to pulp.

"Focus, Natsumi." Tsubasa's quiet voice rang in Natsumi's ears. "You need to be one with your bey. It's a huge thing of power, but it's still your bey." Natsumi closed her eyes and felt the waves of energy radiating through her. She concentrated harder and harder, and the pulsing quickened to the same speed as her heartbeat. For a moment she lost herself in the great power, and her mind whisked back to the mountains that she had once lived in. She felt herself flying through the dark tunnels that she had walked through hundreds of times. It smelled of familiarity. Of home. As she reached the heart of the mountains, the petrajadus sat glorified on its pedestal, as it had all those years before. Feeling drawn to its power, she reached out to it. Instead of grasping the stone, she felt the cold, sharp metal of a bey in her hand. She pressed the bey to her chest, letting its spirit surround her. "Sky Lynx," she breathed. "You're Sky Lynx." As if it was responding to her, the bey began to spin, leaving her hands. She reached out to the stone once more, wrapping her hands around it. Instantly, she felt its power rush through her and she was surrounded in a soft green aura. The stone detached from its pedestal and she held it tightly, rising slowly into the air. She closed her eyes and let the power of the stone mingle with her own spirit. "Please, share with me your power," she whispered. "I need your help." She felt a flicker inside of her, and suddenly energy filled her from her head to her toes. The surge of such intense power knocked the wind out of her, and she gasped for breath, clutching her chest tightly. In front of her, Sky Lynx glowed a brilliant green and flew towards her. She reached out and grabbed it, relaxing as their spirits entwined. Then, she fell, and fell, and fell, into the darkness.

* * *

Inhaling sharply, Natsumi crumbled to her knees. "Natsumi!" Ryuto helped her up worriedly. "Are you okay?" Natsumi looked around. Her bey was still exploding everywhere. "Lynx!" she called. And at that moment, Lynx stopped. The green glow faded and it spun on the spot, awaiting its next command. Natsumi took a deep breath, channeling all her energy into her bey. She saw Rika lying on the ground, exhausted, Ryuga positioned angrily behind her, Tsubasa and Ryuto beside her. They were counting on her. She lifted her head and turned to her bey. "Go get 'em, Lynx." Lynx burst into action, once again slamming into Corvus, but this time with precision. The dark bey flew into the air, glowing red. "Corvus!" the man yelled. The crow beast in Corvus cawed loudly and nosedived at Lynx.

"Lynx! Summit Skyburst Attack!" Lynx launched itself into the air and the two beys collided head on. A huge explosion ensued, and dust filled the air once again. When it cleared, both beys were still spinning.

"It's no use," the man snarled. "Even with your power, you still cannot defeat me." Natsumi concentrated on her bey again. The glow returned, beaming brighter than ever. _It's now or never._ She shut her eyes. "I never wanted to fight for anything," she said. "I wanted nothing more than to live in peace. But you…" She opened her eyes and stared him down. "You have threatened everything I have. And I don't even that much stuff. You have done so much wrong, and for that I will fight." She planted her feet in the ground and clenched her fists. "I will fight for everyone I love and care about. Go, Sky Lynx! Aerial Eruption!" Lynx launched into the air once again, this time hovering for a few moments. The green light spread across the entire area, until no one could see a thing. The powerful bey began to spin faster and faster, until it was nothing but a blur in the sky. Then it dropped, spinning even faster still. It accelerated and accelerated as it got closer to the ground, and then made impact.

The ground burst. Everyone clung to whatever was in arms length. Natsumi pressed herself to the ground. _Come on… _The dust slowly cleared and Corvus lay defeated on the ground. Natsumi stared in shock. _I won…_ She held out her hand instinctively and Sky Lynx flew to her, landing in her palm. She gazed at the bey in wonder. _It was…because of you…_

"No!" The man stood his ground, shaking his head in disbelief. "Impossible! You couldn't have…" The red glow in Corvus faded and everyone watched in awe as the stone around the man's neck began to tremble. "What…what's happening?" The man clutched the stone desperately. "No!" The stone shattered, shards littering everywhere. A mass ball of condensed energy rose into the air, shimmering with red heat. Natsumi whipped around. "Ryuga!" she called. Ryuga stood up and launched L-Drago towards the cloud. The bey flew weakly into the red mess, and for a second nothing moved. Then, the dragon bey began to spin, faster and faster until it had absorbed all the energy. Huge dragon heads rose into the air, circling them menacingly. Ryuga roared as the power filled him once more.

"Looks like he's back," Tsubasa remarked. Natsumi shook her head slowly, a small smile spreading across her face.

"Wait!" Rika held out her bey, which was still glowing. "What about the rest of your power?"

"Ha!" Ryuga smirked as L-Drago set off more light shows. "I have no use for that miniscule power-up! You can keep it." Rika's eyes widened, and she looked down at her bey. The red lightning streaked across the sky. Ryuga turned to Natsumi, his eyes narrowed. "You've obtained great power," he growled. "In time, I will come find you." With a flash, he was gone.

"Yes," Natsumi muttered. "I can't wait." Rika ran over and hugged her.

"You controlled the power!" She pointed at Sky Lynx. "It's so amazing!"

"I'm going to expecting a lot of action from you," Tsubasa put in. "Everyone is going to want to battle you."

"Sure, sure," Natsumi sighed. "But right now, I want to go home."

"Home?" Rika looked surprised. "You mean the mountains?"

No," she replied. "My new home." She looked up to Tsubasa with a smile, which he returned.

"Hate to break up this very happy moment, but what should we do about these guys?" Ryuto pointed at the people lying on the ground.

"Ah, just leave them," Tsubasa told him. "They're just another bunch of stupid bladers thirsting for power. If they rise up again, we'll just knock them back down. Come on." He picked up his bey. "Let's go home."

* * *

"Rika!" The four friends arrived back in Mexico to be greeted by the rest of the gang. "You're okay!" Rika grinned as Zeo ran up and hugged her.

"How did the tournament go?" she asked him excitedly.

"Forget the tournament!" Toby exclaimed. "Tell us what happened with Ryuga!"

"But if you're wondering about the tournament, we all made it to the second round," Masamune put in. Rika laughed, exchanging a high five.

"That's awesome!" she said with a big smile. "This is so exciting!"

"Yeah, the next round is going to be held in Greece!" Zeo added. "How cool is that?"

"Very cool," she nodded. "But I think Sky Fox and I need to train a little bit before we'll be able to participate in any tournaments anytime soon."

"You've still got Ryuga's power?" Zeo questioned.

"Yeah." She pulled out her bey and handed it to him. "It's pretty cool though, when you think about it."

"That it is." Zeo grinned. "Train hard, Rika. For Team Dungeon!" They exchanged a high five.

* * *

"Tsubasa! Natsumi! Ryuto!" Gingka, Madoka, Kenta, and Yu ran up to them eagerly.

"What happened?" Kenta asked, shocked at their unruly selves.

"We ran into trouble with some power-hungry cronies," Tsubasa explained. "Natsumi took care of them." Natsumi flushed, looking away.

"It was Lynx," she put in. "Not me."

"Did you get Ryuga's power back?" Gingka asked.

"We got more than that." Tsubasa glanced at Natsumi. "Somebody's finally got her bey spirit. And a whole lot of power too."

"Great," Gingka said with a grin. "That means you'll be battling all of us, right?"

"Yeah." Natsumi smiled a bit. "I guess it does. But later. Right now…" She looked around. "I think I'm gonna run off."

"Again?" Kenta looked surprised. "But you just got here!"

"Don't worry, I'll be back," Natsumi grinned. "I just need to spend a bit of time alone with my bey." She glanced at Rika. "And maybe my sister too." She turned and jabbed a finger at Tsubasa. "And you, make sure you don't let off. When it comes time for our battle, I'll defeat you for sure!" Tsubasa grinned.

"That's the spirit," he laughed. "Safe travels." He held out his hand and she struck it cleanly.

"Hey, Rika!" Natsumi flicked her head. Rika's eyes lit up and she gave her friends one last hug before joining her sister. Tsubasa watched as they ran off, eventually disappearing into the distance.

"Where do you think they went?" Gingka asked him.

"Who knows?" he replied quietly. "Maybe to the mountains, maybe to find Ryuga. I don't even think they know."

"They'll come back, right?" Kenta pondered nervously. "She said they would."

"They'll come back," said Tsubasa with a nod. "No matter how far away they go, or how many people they meet, the path always eventually leads back to home. And I'd say they've made some pretty good friends here."

"Home is where the heart is," Gingka remarked. Tsubasa glanced off in the direction that they had run off in. The sun was beginning to sink beneath the horizon, and the two girls were nothing but shadows getting further and further away.

_Running…_ he thought, shaking his head with a smile.

_Always running._


End file.
